Chileans are gearing up ahead of an election on Sunday against a backdrop of political polarization, with security concerns top of mind.

Communist Jeannette Jara and the far-right José Antonio Kast have emerged as the front-runners with campaigns focused on security and similar proposals that include strengthening the police, expanding the country’s prison capacity, modernizing and acquiring new equipment and training security force.

Their promises come as Chileans have a growing perception that their country’s security is deteriorating.

The South American nation, surrounded by mountains and oceans, has historically been considered a safe country, especially compared to other nations in the region, but now security is a prominent issue in the lead up to elections.

Homicides in Chile still remain low compared to other countries in Latin America, with 6 homicides per 100,000 people in 2023, according to the World Bank.

However, in recent years, Chile has seen an increase in kidnapping, extortion, contract killing and thefts of cellphones “linked to transnational organized crime” that began in 2021, according to Hassel Barrientos, head of the Anti-Kidnapping Brigade of the Investigations Police.

Four years ago, candidate Kast came close to winning but was defeated in a runoff vote by the outgoing president Gabriel Boric.

Now, in his third presidential race, Kast is shaping up as one of the favorites with his hardline stance on migration and crime.

"I'm voting for Kast because I believe he will solve the problems of this country that have us overwhelmed," supporter Rebeca Aguirre Lorca, said ahead of Sunday's vote.

"You really can't go out because there are a lot of crimes. I believe he will fix all those things."

At the other end of the political spectrum is Jara, a militant, union leader, and former minister.

At 51, she has an extensive political history and is leading the candidacy as the sole representative of the "Unidad por Chile" coalition, which brings together left and center-left forces.

It is the first time a communist has represented the entire left in Chilean history.

Outgoing President Boric has promoted a series of measures to curb violence, including the creation of a Ministry of Security, the approval of a new anti-terrorism law and the implementation of specialized units dedicated to combating different branches of organized crime, such as anti-narcotics and anti-kidnapping brigades.

Jara, who served as Boric's labor minister, pledges to continue these policies.

"I will vote for Jeannette Jara because I believe she is the person most grounded in the needs of the people, because I do consider myself a radical person, and because I believe it is necessary to advance in the rights of the modern world, in the values that the modern world holds," said supporter Dayana Aravena.

Johannes Kaiser, a radical libertarian candidate, has also been gaining traction ahead of the vote.

Kaiser emerged on the national political scene in the shadow of José Antonio Kast, and took flight alone to challenge him as the new disruptive expression of the extreme right.

Two weeks before the elections, he shook the electoral board and settled into third place in the polls.

Some 15.7 million people are called to the polls on Sunday to vote in Chile's presidential and parliamentary elections, where voting is compulsory.

AP video shot by Alex Plaza