SANTIAGO, Chile -- When Gen. Augusto Pinochet held a referendum on his rule in 1988, a surge of young voters was the decisive difference in emphatically turning the country toward democracy.

But as Chileans head to the polls on Sunday, with the fate of the 20-year old governing coalition in the balance, young voters are not likely to play a major role.

Even as its democracy has matured and its steady economic management has become the envy of Latin America, Chile's youngest citizens have developed a serious case of political apathy.

Just 9.2 percent of 18-to-29-year-olds are registered to vote on Sunday, the lowest number for a presidential election since democracy was restored in 1990, and slightly lower than the percentage registered in 2005 when Chileans elected Michelle Bachelet, the first woman to become president. She is not allowed to seek a second consecutive term under the Constitution.

"I hope that 9 percent becomes zero percent," said Gonzalo Castillo, an 18-year-old history major at the University of Chile, who said he refused to register. "All the candidates represent the interests of the oligarchy, of big business interests."