The first election of regional governors was held on May 15 and 16, 2021, alongside elections for members of the Constitutional Convention and local authorities. The process included the direct election of regional governors for Chile's 16 regions, the country's first-level administrative divisions. Their term extends from July 17, 2021, to January 6, 2025.[1] If none of the candidates received more than 40% of the votes, a second round was held on June 13, 2021.
The election of regional governors was originally scheduled for October 25, 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic altered the entire election schedule in Chile, moving the 2020 national plebiscite from April 26 to October 25. The election of regional governors was then rescheduled for April 21, 2021, extending the term of the mayors elected in the previous election.[2]
Due to the pandemic, the election of regional governors along with other concurrent elections was extended to two days (April 10 and 11) to avoid crowding, making it the first election in Chile to be held over more than one day.
Eventually, the elections were once again postponed to May 15 and 16, 2021, due to a rise in COVID-19 cases,[1] while election of regional board members was held on November 21, 2021, alongside the presidential and parliamentary elections.