A presidential candidate in Chile does not "earn" money per vote: they can claim a refund of campaign expenses of up to 0.04 UF per vote in the first round and 0.01 UF in the runoff, under Law 19.884 on electoral spending transparency and control. With the UF value the Servel used for the 2025 election (38,391.84 pesos), that is about 1,536 pesos per first-round vote and 384 pesos in the runoff, according to Chilevisión.
The refund "is not automatic nor paid just for obtaining votes", the Servel told the fact-checking alliance Comprueba, as reported by Chilevisión. It is only paid against documented, unpaid expenses. Here are the rules, the figures and the cases from the last presidential election.
How much a candidate gets per vote in Chile, by election
| Election | Refund per vote | In pesos (UF at 38,391.84) |
|---|---|---|
| Presidential, first round | 0.04 UF | ≈ 1,536 |
| Presidential, runoff | 0.01 UF | ≈ 384 |
| Senate and Chamber of Deputies | 0.01 UF, according to CNN Chile | ≈ 384 |
| Political parties | 0.015 UF before 2024; 0.01 UF in the 2024 elections, according to BioBioChile | ≈ 576 / 384 |
| 2024 municipal and regional elections | Cut from 0.04 to 0.026 UF by Law 21.693, according to BioBioChile | ≈ 970 (UF at the time) |
Sources: CNN Chile, Chilevisión and BioBioChile. Peso amounts are our own calculation using the UF on the day the Servel board issued the 2025 spending-limit resolution, which is the date the law sets. Other outlets used the UF on election day (about 39,640 pesos) and arrived at roughly 1,586 pesos per vote, which is why different figures circulate. The exact text of each article of the law could not be read at the Library of Congress site.
What each 2025 presidential candidate was entitled to
Using the official first-round results of November 16, 2025, each candidate's theoretical refund ceiling was:
| Candidate | First-round votes | Refund ceiling (0.04 UF per vote) |
|---|---|---|
| Jeannette Jara | 3,483,490 | 5.349 billion pesos |
| José Antonio Kast | 3,104,458 | 4.767 billion pesos |
| Franco Parisi | 2,557,737 | 3.928 billion pesos |
| Johannes Kaiser | 1,808,434 | 2.777 billion pesos |
| Evelyn Matthei | 1,617,720 | 2.484 billion pesos |
| Harold Mayne-Nicholls | 163,105 | 250 million pesos |
| Marco Enríquez-Ominami | 154,698 | 238 million pesos |
| Eduardo Artés | 85,392 | 131 million pesos |
Source: Servel results compiled by Wikipedia; amounts are our own calculation. In the December 14 runoff, Kast (7,263,236 votes) had an additional ceiling of about 2.788 billion pesos and Jara (5,222,558) about 2.005 billion, at 0.01 UF per vote. 24 Horas and other outlets published slightly higher amounts using preliminary votes and another UF value. None of these is what the Servel actually paid, which depends on the expense reports.
Requirements to receive the refund
- Approved accounts: the campaign income and expense report must be approved by the Servel.
- No other funding: only expenses not financed by the candidate, third parties, the party or loans with a collection mandate are refunded.
- Unpaid invoices or receipts: the money goes to pay suppliers for campaign expenses.
- Ceiling: the refund cannot exceed votes multiplied by the UF amount.
Source: Servel, quoted by Chilevisión and CNN Chile. The refund can go to suppliers, to the bank that lent for the campaign (loan with a collection mandate) or to the party that covered the expenses. There is also a state advance at the start of the campaign for parties and independent candidates, later deducted.
Why some candidates end up in the red
Since the refund depends on votes, a candidate who borrows more than their vote allows them to recover is left with a deficit. According to 24 Horas, citing La Segunda, in 2025 the loans of Matthei (2.16 billion pesos), Jara (2.07 billion), Kast (1.5 billion), Parisi (850 million), Kaiser (800 million) and Artés (100 million) were covered, while Mayne-Nicholls and Enríquez-Ominami faced shortfalls of about 300 million and 352 million pesos.
| Myth | What the rule says |
|---|---|
| "The Servel pays candidates 1,500 pesos per vote" | False: it is a refund of documented expenses, not a cash payment |
| "Running is a business" | Only if reported expenses are real and unpaid; any remainder does not go to the candidate |
| "The amount is the same in every election" | No: it varies by election and the law has changed it, as in 2024 |
Source: Comprueba and AFP fact-check published by Chilevisión. "You submit an invoice to the Servel and it pays for those services," summed up political scientist Claudio Fuentes (UDP).
Per-vote refund versus the salary of the office
The refund only covers the campaign; the salary comes later, if the candidate wins. For comparison: how much Chile's president earns, how much a deputy earns and how much a senator earns. Chile's next national elections are scheduled for 2029.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a candidate get per vote in Chile?
They do not earn money: they can claim a campaign expense refund of up to 0.04 UF per vote in the presidential first round (≈ 1,536 pesos in 2025) and 0.01 UF in the runoff.
Who pays the per-vote refund?
The Treasury, through the Electoral Service (Servel), after approving the campaign expense report.
How much was Kast entitled to for his votes?
With 3,104,458 first-round votes, his ceiling was about 4.767 billion pesos, plus about 2.788 billion for the runoff. The actual amount depends on reported expenses.
Do deputies get money per vote?
Yes, a smaller amount: 0.01 UF per vote, according to CNN Chile, also as an expense refund.
Why don't media figures match?
Because they use different UF values and preliminary or final votes. The law sets the UF on the day of the Servel's spending-limit resolution.
