1958 Chilean presidential election
4 September 1958
Turnout83.50%
 
Candidate Jorge Alessandri Salvador Allende
Party Independent Socialist
Alliance Liberal–Conservative FRAP
Popular vote 389,909 356,493
Percentage 31.56% 28.85%
Congress vote 147 26
 
Candidate Eduardo Frei Montalva Luis Bossay
Party PDC Radical
Popular vote 255,769 192,077
Percentage 20.70% 15.55%
President before election

Carlos Ibáñez del Campo
Independent

 Elected President

Jorge Alessandri
Independent

Presidential elections were held in Chile on 4 September 1958.[1] The result was a victory for Jorge Alessandri, who ran as an independent. Allende's defeat has been commonly attributed to Antonio Zamorano, also known as "Cura de Catapilco", entering the race as a populist left-wing candidate and taking votes from Allende's electorate.[2] This explanation has been questioned by modern research that infers Zamorano took votes from across the political spectrum.[2] The "Catapilco" effect remains a trope in Chilean electoral discourse used to indicate a candidate that finishes third and is believed to have hindered the runner-up.[3]

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 houses of the National Congress would come together to vote on the two candidates that received the most votes.[4]

Results

CandidatePartyPopular voteCongress vote
Votes%Votes%
Jorge AlessandriIndependent (Liberal–Conservative)389,90931.5614784.97
Salvador AllendeSocialist Party356,49328.852615.03
Eduardo Frei MontalvaChristian Democratic Party255,76920.70
Luis BossayRadical Party192,07715.55
Antonio ZamoranoIndependent41,3043.34
Total1,235,552100.00173100.00
Valid votes1,235,55298.8217392.51
Invalid/blank votes14,7981.18147.49
Total votes1,250,350100.00187100.00
Registered voters/turnout1,497,49383.5019297.40
Source: Nohlen, Chilean Electoral Database

References

  1. ↑ Dieter Nohlen (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume II, p262 ISBN 978-0-19-928358-3
  2. 1 2 Navia, Patricio; Soto Castro, Ignacia (2017). "El efecto de Antonio Zamorano, el Cura de Catapilco, en la derrota de Salvador Allende en la elección presidencial de 1958". Historia (in Spanish). 50 (1).
  3. ↑ Navia Lucero, Patricio; Díaz, Francisco Javier; Joignant Rondon, Roberto (2011). "Catapilco". Diccionario de la política chilena (in Spanish). Sudamericana. ISBN 9789562623834.
  4. ↑ Nohlen, p259
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