Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Chile

The vote simulation of Chileans abroad made today in Buenos Aires was a success. The simulation took place in the framework of the implementation process which will allow our fellow citizens residing abroad to vote in the presidential primaries, in the presidential elections and also in the national referendums.

In the activity, carried out by the National Migration Directorate of Argentina, counted with the participation of Foreign Minister, Heraldo Muñoz, who traveled to the capital city of Argentina to lead this initiative. Beside him, participated the Director General of Consular Affairs and Migration, Carlos Appelgren; the Director of Chilean Communities Abroad, Abraham Quezada; and representatives of various political parties: José Angulo (PS), Daniel Castillo (Ampitud), Julio Cisterna (RN), Rodrigo Delgado, Nelson Hadad (DC), Felipe Kast (Evopoli), Maximiliano Lamatta (PC) and Elías Pajkuric (Frente Amplio). The Ambassador of Chile in Argentina, José Antonio Viera-Gallo, and the Consul General of Chile in Buenos Aires, Raúl Sanhueza, also were part of the session.

Minister Muñoz quartered the area, observed the process and even voted in a table arranged for this act. After this, he manifested his complacency for the realization of this initiative and affirmed: "we will be a better democracy with this historic event".

The simulation had as a purpose to revise the most critical steps in the voting process. For this, an election day was simulating, revising different phases, including the dispatch, reception and custody of electoral material; the constitution of a table; the counting and transmission of results; and also the return of the votes to Chile.

Thanks to the Organic Constitutional Law Nº 20.960, enacted in October 2016, Chileans abroad can participate from their countries of residence in the presidential primary elections, the presidential elections, and the national referendums. Those interested in voting have to request a change of voting address in the nearest Chilean Consulate. The deadline is until May 3rd to participate in presidential primaries and until July 1st to be part of the presidential elections on November 19, 2017.

In this sense, Minister Muñoz called Chilean citizens abroad to change their voting address as soon as possible. "Let's make the most out of this great opportunity offered by the Constitutional change and the organic law that this right achieves", he affirmed.