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SANDY — Chilean expatriates in Utah won't have to take a plane ride to vote on the proposed new constitution in the South American nation, a focus of intense deliberation.
The Salt Lake City area — Sandy, more specifically — is one of several sites around the nation and the rest of the world where Chileans living abroad will be able to cast ballots in the voting, set for Sunday. The proposed constitution would replace the existing constitution, which dates to the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, who led the nation from 1973 to 1990.
Voting in Utah will take place on Sunday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Best Western Plus Cottontree Inn in Sandy, according to the Facebook page of the Chilean Consulate in Los Angeles, California, which covers Utah. In all, more than 127,000 Chileans in 65 countries outside of Chile will be able to vote, including 20,070 in the United States, the largest voting pool in any nation outside of Chile, according to the Chilean Electoral Service, which oversees elections in the country. Chileans with homes in Chile are required to vote, while voting is voluntary for those abroad who have reported their foreign homes to election officials.
The future of Chile's constitution has been the focus of intense debate. Chilean voters soundly rejected a prior proposed rewrite last year that the Associated Press said was "written by a left-leaning convention." The new proposal was written by a largely "conservative" contingent, AP said.
Debate over rewriting a new constitution started in late 2019, according to the Financial Times, after the nation was rocked by mass protests that in part targeted the constitution crafted during Pinochet's government.
AP reports that one of the most controversial provisions in the proposed new constitution would protect the life of the unborn, which some say would have the end result of making abortion illegal in the country. Abortion is now legal in cases of rape, if the mother's life is in danger or if the fetus can't survive. Another controversial provision says prisoners suffering from a terminal illness could receive house arrest, which foes fear would benefit those imprisoned for "crimes against humanity" committed under Pinochet.
Voting in the United States is set for 10 locations:
- Sandy
- Chicago
- Houston
- Los Angeles
- Atlanta
- Miami
- New York
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- Washington
Representatives from the Chilean Embassy in Washington, D.C., or the Chilean Consulate in Los Angeles, California, didn't respond to queries seeking comment.
