Chilean presidential election, 1946

Presidential election, 1946

Wednesday September 4, 1946

Turnout 75.93% 5.4%   Candidate Gabriel González Videla Eduardo Cruz-Coke Party Radical Conservative Alliance Democratic Alliance National Falange Popular vote 192,207 142,441 Percentage 40.2% 29.81% Confirmation 138 46   Candidate Fernando Alessandri Bernardo Ibáñez Party Liberal Socialist Alliance List Radical Democratic Agrarian Labor Authentic Socialist Liberal Progressive Popular vote 131,023 12,114 Percentage 27.42% 2.54%

Presidential elections were held in Chile on September 4, 1946.^[1] The result was a victory for Gabriel González Videla of the Radical Party, who received 40% of the public vote and 75% of the Congressional 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]

Candidates

Fernando Alessandri

The support of the Democratic Alliance to Gonzalez motivates the separation of a part of the Radical Party, opposite to the communist-radical alliance, which there shapes the Democratic Radical party directed by Julio Durán and Arturo Olavarría. This conglomerate raises Alfredo Duhalde's candidacy, supported also by the Authentic Socialist Party. Then, in one slightly confused situation, Duhalde and Arturo Alessandri stoop his respective candidacies giving step to the candidate Fernando Alessandri Rodríguez, standard-bearer of liberal, radical democratic and authentic Socialists of Marmaduke Grove.

Eduardo Cruz-Coke

The right-wing meets in his own convention in July. Conservative, liberal and agrarian Labours Parties members come to the Convention with the following candidates:

• Conservatives: Eduardo Cruz-Coke.
• Agrarian Labour Party: Jaime Larraín.
• Liberal: Arturo Alessandri, Jose Maza Fernandez and Francisco Bulnes Correa.

Nevertheless none manages to triumph in the Convention (65 % was needed and then 60 % of the delegates to be elect) and this one is suspended after one week. Diverse meetings for the only candidate fail, and in this way Eduardo Cruz-Coke's candidacies remain elevated, supported for the conservatives and Arturo Alessandri, for liberal and agrarian Labour Parties members. Then he remains only Cruz-Coke supported by the conservatives, since liberal and agrarian Labours Parties members continue with Fernando Alessandri's candidacy, together with a sector of the radicalism (Democratic Radical party), after the resignations of Arturo Alessandri and the vice-president Alfredo Duhalde.

Gabriel González Videla

Already in February 1946 the situation had been defined inside the Radical party (of the president Ríos) where there face Gabriel Gonzalez Videla and Arturo Olavarría, the latter the support of the "Duhaldist" faction. Nevertheless, before the voting this one sector abstains, leaving only Olavarría, who is widely defeated by his contender.

For your part, the Democratic Alliance, auccessor of the Popular Front, meets in a convention on July 21 and decides to support Gonzalez, leaving of side the candidacy of the communist Elías Lafertte.

Bernardo Ibañez

The Socialist Party of Chile, opposite to such circumstances, there proposes his own candidate, Bernardo Ibáñez Aguila, though in the election are going to give his vote to Gonzalez Videla.

Results

Candidate		Party	Public vote		Congressional vote
			Votes	%	Votes	%
	Gabriel González Videla	Radical	192,207	40.2	138	75.0
	Eduardo Cruz-Coke	Conservative	142,441	29.8	46	25.0
	Fernando Alessandri	Liberal	131,023	27.4
	Bernardo Ibáñez	Socialist	12,114	2.5
Others			16	0.0
Invalid/blank votes			1,509	–	1	–
Total			479,310	100	185	100
Registered voters/turnout			631,257	75.9	192	96.4
Source: Nohlen, Chilean Electoral Database

References

1. Nohlen, D (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume II, p262 ISBN 978-0-19-928358-3
2. Nohlen, p259