Chilean presidential election, 1964

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Chilean presidential election, 1964

← 1958 September 4, 1964 1970 →
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Nominee Eduardo Frei Montalva Salvador Allende Julio Durán
Party Christian Democratic Socialist Radical
Alliance Liberal
United Conservative
Popular Action Front
Popular vote 1,409,012 977,902 125,233
Percentage 56.1% 38.9% 5.0%

President before election

Jorge Alessandri
Independent

Elected President

Eduardo Frei Montalva
Christian Democrat

Presidential elections were held in Chile on 4 September 1964.[1] The result was a victory for Eduardo Frei Montalva of the Christian Democratic Party, who received 56% of the vote.

Electoral system

The election was held using the absolute majority system, under which a candidate had to receive over 50% of the popular vote to be elected. If no candidate received over 50% of the vote, both house of the National Congress would come together to vote on the two candidates that received the most votes.[2]

Campaign

The Church Committee of the US Senate revealed in 1975 that the Central Intelligence Agency interfered substantially with the election to prevent the accession of Marxist Salvador Allende. The CIA secretly funded more than half of Frei's campaign and supported an array of pro-Christian Democratic groups. Two other political parties were funded as well in an attempt to spread the vote. The CIA's assistance to Frei took the form of polling, voter registration and get out the vote drives, in addition to covert propaganda.[3]

Results

Candidate Party Votes %
Eduardo Frei Montalva Christian Democratic Party 1,409,012 56.1
Salvador Allende Socialist Party 977,902 38.9
Julio Durán Neumann Radical Party 125,233 5.0
Invalid/blank votes 18,550
Total 2,530,697 100
Registered voters/turnout 2,915,121 86.8
Source: Nohlen

References

  1. Nohlen, D (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume II, p262 ISBN 978-0-19-928358-3
  2. Nohlen, p259
  3. Church Report (Covert Action In Chile 1963-1973)