Political-Electoral Participation of Foreigners Resident in Chile (2016-2020)

Abstract

Since the creation of the modern State, electoral participation has typically been a space reserved for nationals of the State in question. Thus, citizenship, national identity, and nationality have been vague terms and sometimes used synonymously throughout the centuries. In the current context, migrations stress these key concepts for the construction of our political communities. The case of Chile, where the right to vote for foreign residents is guaranteed since the 1980 Constitution, allows us to delve into their electoral behavior, both in their electoral participation and the percentage of qualified persons. On the other hand, and despite being a right guaranteed by the Constitution itself, like any right, it is in constant tension, especially now that Chile’s constitutional process has just begun with the plebiscite of October 2020.