Abstract

From a territorial approach, we analyze political participation in the Chilean constituent process (2019-2021), according to poverty, rurality and capital, at the communal scale and considering three modes of participation: protests, cabildos and voting. Using linear regression models with weighted least squares, we test whether political participation is lower in poor communes; whether participation is higher in rural communes; and whether participation is lower in provincial capitals. The results indicate that participation was socioeconomically biased (communes with low poverty registered higher participation, varying according to mode); the capital city favoured protests and cabildos, but not voting; while rural communes behaved differently in the 2020 and 2021 elections, confirming the importance of local elections in these areas. The article contributes to the understanding of the inequality of socio-economic and territorial participation that challenges democracy. © 2025, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile. All rights reserved.