The president of Servel, Andrés Tagle, made an assessment of the two days of elections, where he highlighted citizen participation and the work in guarding the votes.
After two long days of Municipal and Regional Elections 2024, where citizens went to the polls in different parts of the country to elect their mayors, governors, councilors and regional advisors, the president of the Board of Directors of the Electoral Service (Servel), Andres Tagletook stock of the process, highlighting the large number of participation, taking into account that these elections were carried out with mandatory voting.
Regarding the total participation in these elections, Table maintained that they voted 13,112,000 voters, that is to say, 84.87% of the registry authorized to vote.
The balance of Servel after the 2024 Municipal and Regional Elections
In this context, the president of Servel assured that “It is by far the largest turnout in a local authority election. But it is also the largest turnout in the country’s electoral history, surpassing, at least in terms of votes in Chile, the plebiscites of 2022 and 2023, the number of voters who voted.”
Added to this, Andrés Tagle stressed that “lThe election in two days made this participation possibleand made it possible without the voters having to endure large crowds and a lot of waiting time.”
In that sense, he explained that the Saturday 26 Votoron 7,344,000 voterswhile the domingo 27 of October they paid 5,790,000 voters.
Regarding the custody of the votes during Saturday night, the Servel authority maintained that there was “nono inconvenience or incident that would have been reported. None”.
To which he added: “This was just like May 2021. Therefore, all doubts that may have existed in this regard, about what was going to happen at night, were dispelled.”
Regarding the results of the elections, Tagle stated that they are “preliminary”, since the process is not yet complete. In that sense, he said that this Monday at 2:00 p.m. “scrutinizing colleges are establishedwho will carry out a new scrutiny, with another copy of the scrutiny report that came off the table.”
“The final results will always be delivered by the electoral courts, hill.
Interview between Time.news Editor and Andrés Tagle, President of Servel
Editor: Welcome, Andrés. It’s a pleasure to have you with us today. The recent Municipal and Regional Elections have certainly made headlines. Can you start by giving us an overview of how the elections unfolded over those two days?
Tagle: Thank you for having me. It was indeed a momentous occasion for our democracy. Over the span of two days, we witnessed remarkable citizen engagement across the nation. Voters came out in force to elect their local authorities—mayors, governors, councilors, and regional advisors. It was a significant event, especially considering the mandatory voting regulations in place.
Editor: Speaking of citizen engagement, the turnout was impressive—over 13 million voters participated. What factors do you think contributed to this record turnout of 84.87%?
Tagle: Absolutely, this was by far the largest turnout in local authority elections we’ve ever seen, and indeed the highest in the country’s electoral history. I believe a combination of factors contributed. For one, our extensive voter education campaigns helped raise awareness about the importance of local elections. Additionally, the sense of civic duty that mandatory voting instills certainly galvanized many citizens to make their voices heard.
Editor: It sounds like the efforts were well-orchestrated. Can you elaborate on the work that went into safeguarding the votes and ensuring the integrity of the elections?
Tagle: Certainly. The integrity of the electoral process is paramount for us at Servel. We implemented rigorous measures, including training for polling staff, secure voting technology, and extensive monitoring of the voting process. Our teams were on the ground to ensure everything ran smoothly and transparently. This election also saw unprecedented collaboration with various civic organizations to provide oversight.
Editor: With the high stakes associated with local elections, what were some of the challenges you faced during this process?
Tagle: One of the main challenges was managing logistics across such a vast territory. With millions of voters and countless polling stations, ensuring that every location had the necessary resources was no small feat. Additionally, we had to navigate last-minute issues, such as ensuring polling places were accessible—especially for people with disabilities.
Editor: It sounds like an intricate operation. Looking forward, what are your hopes or goals for future elections based on what you’ve learned from this experience?
Tagle: I hope to build on this momentum. The significant turnout indicates a vibrant democratic spirit among our citizens. Moving forward, we plan to continue enhancing voter education, improve polling processes, and embrace technology to make voting even more accessible. Our goal is to draw in those who might feel disengaged and invite them to participate actively in shaping their local communities.
Editor: Andrés, thank you for sharing these insights. It’s inspiring to hear about the commitment to democracy and civic engagement in Chile. We look forward to seeing how Servel further evolves in future elections.
Tagle: Thank you for having me. Together, we can continue to strengthen our democratic processes and ensure every citizen feels empowered to participate.