National referendums in Chile

Since 1925, Chile has conducted eight national referendums. The first modern referendum in 1925 led to the adoption of a new constitution. Over the years, referendums have covered topics such as the legitimacy of General Augusto Pinochet's rule and the adoption of new constitutions in 1980, 2022, and 2023. The current constitution, enacted in 1980, stipulates that binding referendums are required only in specific circumstances, such as when a constitutional reform is fully vetoed by the President and then re-approved by Congress. To date, this presidential power has not been used.

List of referendums

Year	Referendum	Turnout	Yes	No	Neither	Result
1812	Adoption of a provisional political constitution					Approve
1817	Independence proposal					Approve
1818	Adoption of a provisional political constitution					Approve
1925	Adoption of a new political constitution	45.4%	94.8%	4.1%	1.2%	Approve
Year	Referendum	Turnout	Yes	No	Null	Blank	Result
1978	Legitimacy of General Pinochet's de facto government	a	78.6%	21.4%	4.6%		Approve
1980	Adoption of a new political constitution	a	69.0%	31.0%	2.8%	1.3%	Approve
1988	Extension of General Pinochet's presidency	97.5%	44.0%	56.0%	1.3%	1.0%	Reject
1989	Constitutional reforms	93.7%	91.3%	8.7%	4.6%	1.5%	Approve
2020	On whether a new constitution should be drafted	51.0%	78.3%	21.7%	0.4%	0.2%	Approve
Year	Referendum	Turnout	MCC	CC	Null	Blank	Result
2020	On what kind of body should write the new constitution	51.0%	21.0%	79.0%	3.4%	1.6%	Constitutional Convention
Year	Referendum	Turnout	Yes	No	Null	Blank	Result
2022	Adoption of a proposed constitution	85.8%	38.1%	61.9%	1.5%	0.6%	Reject
2023	Adoption of a proposed constitution	84.5%	44.2%	55.8%	3.7%	1.3%	Reject

^a There was no electoral roll for this referendum.
Note: The percentages used in the "Yes", "No" and "Neither" columns are over the total of valid votes in each referendum. The percentages used in the "Null" and "Blank" columns are over the total votes cast in each referendum.

Current legislation

The 1980 constitution allows for binding referendums only when a constitutional reform passed by Congress is fully vetoed by the president and then re-approved by a two-thirds majority in both chambers. In this case, the president can either sign the reform into law or call for a referendum. So far, no president has used this power.

External links

• Chilean Electoral Service - Official site