500,000 dead people on voting rolls in Chile

Santiago, May 10 (IANS/EFE) More than 500,000 dead people are still on the voting rolls in Chile, according to a member of the country's election board.

Patricio Santamaria said during a meeting Wednesday that there are "between 500,000 and 600,000" dead people on the voting rolls, El Mercurio newspaper reported.

Election officials "don't have the authority to purge the voter register" because current law would not permit it and an amendment to allow such a procedure remains on hold along with the rest of a new electoral statute declared unconstitutional by the Constitutional Court, Santamaria said.

To resolve this problem, the elections board is analyzing different alternatives, including summoning those who are presumed to be dead to appear before the board, El Mercurio said.

This measure, however, would be implemented for future elections, not for November's presidential and congressional ballot.

--IANS/EFE

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