entity. This is a rare application of the D'Hondt method, as only two seats are allocated per electoral division. Criticism This binomial voting system was established by the military dictatorship that ruled Chile until 1990, limiting the proportional system in place until 1973 to two seats per district or constituency. The dictatorship used gerrymandering to create electoral districts that favored rightist parties, with a positive bias towards the more conservative rural areas of the country. The vote-to-seat ratio was lower in districts that supported Pinochet in the 1988 plebiscite and higher in those with the strongest opposition. None of the newly created districts had a margin of more than 2-to-1 in the plebiscite. The authoritarian regime also made it difficult to change the system, requiring a three-fifths majority in both chambers to modify it. Members of the Concert of Parties for Democracy believe that the system undermines their majority in Congress and exaggerates the representation of the right. The right views the system as necessary for the country's stability and to encourage the creation of large coalitions. The left sees the system as undemocratic, denying representation to candidates outside the two main coalitions. Changes to electoral system in 2017 A law reforming the electoral system was published in May 2015. It decreased the number of electoral districts to 28, which were formed by merging existing districts, and reduced the number of senatorial constituencies to 15, with one for each region. Each electoral district elects between three and eight deputies, while each region elects between two and five senators. The number of lawmakers in each chamber was increased, to 155 in the lower chamber, and 50 in the Senate. The D'Hondt method remains in use to determine the winners. The new system was introduced in the 2017 general elections and significantly changed the composition of Congress. Regional elections Note: This section is outdated. The regional boards were directly elected on 17 November 2013 for a period of four years starting on 11 March 2014. Each region in Chile is governed by an Intendant (Intendente), who is appointed by the President of the Republic and assisted by a regional board made up of advisors (consejeros). Advisors are elected by each region's municipal councilmen, who form electoral colleges per regional province. Each region is allotted two advisors per province, plus an additional 10 in regions with up to 1 million inhabitants or 14