John Bartlett

A Communist Party politician is likely to win today's first round of voting with her promises to expand the welfare state.

The two candidates with the most votes will face off in a run-off election next month, with polls suggesting that that would be a divisive showdown between a communist and an ultra-conservative.

For NPR News, I'm John Bartlett in Santiago, Chile.

It feels like a long time since Chileans voted to make left-wing former student leader Gabriel Boric president in 2022.

This electoral cycle has been dominated by fears over public security, illegal immigration, and international organized crime.

Two far-right candidates, José Antonio Kast and Johannes Kaiser, have prospered with promises of harsh crackdowns on crime and border security.

But polls show that Janet Haddad,

A Communist Party politician is likely to win today's first round of voting with her promises to expand the welfare state.

The two candidates with the most votes will face off in a runoff election next month, with polls suggesting that that would be a divisive showdown between a communist and an ultra-conservative.

For NPR News, I'm John Bartlett in Santiago, Chile.