Voting in Chile's closely watched presidential run-off begins in the coming hours. The election could sharply change the country's political course for the first time since a return to democracy 35 years ago.

Santiago

Chile is holding a pivotal presidential run-off featuring two sharply contrasting candidates: José Antonio Kast, a far-right lawyer and founder of the Republican Party, and Tenechara, a left-wing Communist Party member and former labor minister. Kast has campaigned on restoring law and order and taking a hardline stance on crime and migration, while Tenechara has promised sweeping social reforms and inclusive economic growth.

Both candidates face significant challenges with voters, as Kast's ultra-conservative views and support for Chile's authoritarian past raise concerns, while Tenechara's long-standing Communist Party affiliation generates skepticism. With many voters reportedly considering casting blank ballots, the election outcome is uncertain and could steer Chile's political direction toward that of its conservative neighbors.

Chile votes in pivotal presidential run‑off

As Chileans weigh two choices for their future, rarely has the contrast been so sharp. On the far right, a first-generation son of a German migrant, a lawyer and former congressman, and founder of Chile's ultra-conservative Republican Party. On the left, a Communist Party candidate from humble origins, who rose to become minister of labor and social security under the current government. Tenechara promises to advance on the road to sweeping social reforms. And that's what we'll do in my government. We'll see strong growth, but growth that will be enjoyed at every Chilean's dinner table. Her rival, José Antonio Cast, wants to make Chile great again, emulating his role model, Donald Trump. He says he'll bring back law and order to eradicate crime, undocumented migration, and violence by armed groups in the indigenous Araucanía region. What's happening in the Araucanía is not about a historic debt to the Mapuche people or a cultural problem. It's terrorism. Cast says he'll break with years of what he calls ineffective governance, yet many fear He plans to roll the clock back to a governing style more aligned with Chile's authoritarian past. Feminist Congresswoman Lorena Frias is equally worried about his ultra-conservative social values. Cast wants to return to the traditional logic of traditional family dynamics. Obviously, women will be at a disadvantage compared to men in the public and especially the political arena. Both candidates have been trying to downplay problematic aspects of their profile. Even in his youth, Cast was a keen supporter of former dictator Augusto Pinochet, seen here campaigning in the referendum to keep the general in power. Jara's key handicap is the fact that she's been a member of Chile's Orthodox Communist Party since she was 14 years old. And while she says she'll resign if she wins, it's not enough. When we assess the political figures in terms of whether you have a positive impression of this political candidate or a negative, always somebody from the Communist Party will be with a 50 percent or above rejection. And that makes the choice difficult. Many people are afraid of what will happen here if Cast wins the presidency. But many others tell us that they cannot bring themselves to vote for a communist. And that's why we're hearing that more Chileans than ever before are thinking of casting a blank ballot when they go in here to vote. A vote that, if polls are right, will veer Chile in the same direction of many of its conservative neighbors. Lucia Newman, Al Jazeera, Santiago.

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