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 domain (Sandy, to be exact) is one of many places across the country and around the world where living Chileans will be able to vote in Sunday’s vote. The proposed charter would update the existing charter, which dates back to the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, who ruled the country 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 long-term nature of the Chile Charter has been the subject of intense debate. Last year, the Chilean electorate firmly rejected an earlier rewrite proposal that the Associated Press said was “written through a left-wing convention. “” contingent, the AP said.
The debate over rewriting a new charter began in late 2019, according to the Financial Times, after the country was rocked through mass protests that were partly directed against the charter drafted under Pinochet’s rule.
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:
SandyChicagoHoustonLos AngelesAtlantaMiamiNew YorkSan FranciscoSeattleWashington
Officials at Chile’s embassy in Washington, D. C. , or Chile’s consulate in Los Angeles, California, did not respond to questions and comment.