2. Venezuela Presidential Elections 2013 2
General Characteristics of the Project 3
Scale 3
Technology 3
Services 5
Audits and Tests 6
Voting Process 8
Relevant news 9
Appreciation of the Venezuelan voting system 17
About Venezuela 19
01DOSSIER
Table of Contents
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
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3. DOSSIER
Venezuela Presidential Elections 2013
02
Venezuela held its closest presidential election in 40 years this past Sunday, April 14. With
an auditable, automated voting system featuring several technical resources, the capability
to perform multiple verifications of the election results is guaranteed.
Since 2004, Venezuela has seen 12 national elections with Smartmatic’s electoral solution.
360 million votes have been cast and correctly counted, certifying the successful performance
of the automated voting platform, with which every political figure in the country has won
and lost.
This presidential election underwent 15 audits, certified by all political parties in the race.
After the polls closed on Election Day, 53% of the voting machines were audited (approx.
21,000), verifying that the will of the voters reflected on the voting vouchers matched the
precinct counts, which were printed out before results transmissions took place.
For the third time in a national election, Smartmatic’s biometric voter authentication system
was used, in order to prevent identity theft and to guarantee the “one voter, one vote”
principle. The preparation of some 47,000 voting machines, together with the same number
of biometric authentication devices and e-ballots; and the deployment of all the electoral
materials to 13,557 polling centres in just 34 days - those were the challenges that Smartmatic
successfully faced.
A voter turnout of approximately 79%, of a total of 18,802,834 citizens able to vote, represents
a good measure of the level of trust that Venezuelans have on their e-voting system.
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4. 03DOSSIER
General Characteristics of the Project
Scale
During these presidential elections, just like in the two previous elections in 2012, Venezuela
made electoral history by carrying out a fully automated election. This meant automating
every step, from the preparation of the voting instruments, to the biometric authentication
of voters, up to the publication of results.
The electoral platform used had the following extent:
39,018 voting machines (models SAES-4000, SAES-4200 and SAES-4300) plus 7,394
contingency machines distributed among 2,466 polling centers for contingencies.
39,322 polling stations distributed in 13.557 polling centers. Of these, 304 were in the
126 diplomatic offices Venezuela has around the world, where 100,309 Venezuelan
voters living overseas cast their ballots.
The electoral platform was configured to capture, count and securely transmit the votes
of the 18,802,834 registered voters nationwide.
77,452 operators performed tasks such as: system integration, tech support, inventory
control, totaling, etc.
47,924 pieces of equipment were deployed, including voting machines, emergency
machines, and laptop computers.
The States with the most voters, and therefore the most polling centers/stations, were:
Zulia, with 1,215 polling centers and 4,580 stations; Miranda: 1,040 polling centers and
3,852 stations; Lara: 990 centers and 2,537 stations; and Distrito Capital, with 899 polling
centers and 3,207 stations.
Technology
Although the Smartmatic voting machines are the most visible evidence of the arsenal of electoral
tools in use in Venezuela, they’re not the only ones. Others, such as the E-Day Monitor or the
Real-Time Electoral Information System, were key in guaranteeing the electoral platform’s
accurate performance and the project’s success. What follows are descriptions of the technologies
used in the process:
E-Day Monitor: Key tool monitoring and controlling thousands of variables, such as
logistic and operational processes that happen before and during the election.
Election Day Management System (EMS): Application in charge of generating all
the necessary instruments for an electronic election, from the postulation of candidates
to voter registration and ballot layout.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
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5. DOSSIER04
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
VENEZUELA 2013
SAES-4300: Touch-screen voting machine featuring a
user-friendly interface, that records and transmits votes.
It has a built-in printer for voting vouchers and precinct
counts.
SAES-RSA (Remote Session Activator): Our tool to
biometrically identify voters, in order to activate voting
sessions. As it eliminates voter impersonation, it guarantees
the “one voter, one vote” principle.
VP-1500 e-ballot: Electronic voting pad resembling
a traditional paper ballot, which makes it easy for the
voter to enter choice(s) while guaranteeing error-free
input for all votes collected.
1
4
7
5
8
0
2
3
6
9
Real-Time Electoral Information System (REIS): System in charge of processing
electoral results, including consolidation, publishing, and other related tasks.
6. PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
VENEZUELA 2013
Services
For these elections, Smartmatic performed a series of services that went beyond the technical
aspect of voting:
Selection, hiring and training of field personnel (Voting Machine Operators, Support
Technicians, Information Station Operators, Operators of the National Contingency
Transmission Center, Totaling Technicians, Inventory Operators, Special Operators, and
Operators of the National Support Center); staff for the National Support Center (CNS),
the Regional Attention Centers (CAR), Regional Coordinators and staff for the Pre- and
Post-event Audits.
National Support Center Operation, which provided technical support to the various
components involved in the process, to ensure a smooth and flawless performance.
Operation of Quick Care Centers, which provided logistical support in each region. The
deployment and withdrawal protocols of voting equipment were carried out there, and
their status was checked as well. Also, monitoring and attendance reporting for each
of the field operators were conducted. Furthermore, the progress of the process was
monitored through the Election Day Management System, in order to activate contingency
plans if necessary.
Supplies for the voting machines and any other supplies/equipment required
Supply and distribution of batteries as backup energy sources
Installation of the Contingency Transmission Centers
Printing of guides, manuals and protocols for the field personnel
Control and follow-up of performance indicators
Preparation of some 47,000 voting machines, operator training, voter education, engi-
neering tests and mock elections
Execution of engineering tests
Project management services and execution of the exclusive Smartmatic Project
Methodology
05DOSSIER
7. DOSSIER
Audits and Tests
06
Although we only had 34 days to prepare and execute the elections, our 100% auditable
voting platform allowed performing all necessary technical tests to guarantee legitimate
results. All audits were certified by the different political parties participating. The following
is a summary of the audits and tests performed:
1. Audit of the Electoral Data in the Voting Machines, March 13th to 15th. In this test,
the information contained in the voting machines was checked and their configuration
validated.
2. Audit of the Voting Machine Software, March 14th. During this source code audit, it
was verified that the machine’s application program was in working order so as to save,
tally, and transmit the votes correctly.
3. Engineering Test, March 17th. The operability and fault-tolerance of the transmission
platform was evaluated with favorable results.
4. Audit of the Production of Voting Machines, March 21st to April 8th. This audit
verified that the voting machines were primed and configured with the source code
previously certified during the software audit. The process included a number of voting
machines (previously selected at random by the political organizations) and the subsequent
execution of the voting process in them, validating their correct operation.
5. Audit of the Totaling Software, April 1st. This audit checked the source code of the
software used in the totaling center servers. This audit was most important, because
this system receives the data, tallies it, awards the winners and publishes the results.
6. Audit of the Technological Infrastructure of the National Totaling Center, April 8th.
This was where technicians from the political parties checked the entire infrastructure
(servers and communication components) in the data centers dedicated to totaling the
votes.
7. Pre-dispatch Audit, April 9th. A full test of the electoral process, including voting,
transmission, counting, totaling and later verification of the results by opening the
ballot boxes. This audit took place in the presence of representatives of the political
parties.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
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8. 07DOSSIER
8. Pre-election Telecommunications Audit, April 13th. This audit validated that the
CANTV and MOVILNET networks used in the election to transmit the results operated
properly (these are utility networks, completely isolated from the Internet).
9. Citizen Verification, Phase I, April 14th. This took place after the polls closed, when
the citizens checked that the will of the electorate (backed by voting vouchers) matched
the data on the precinct counts. This verification was performed on a random sample of
over 50% of the voting machines.
10.Post-electoral Telecommunications Audit. April 15th. In this process, it was verified
that the telecommunications network had the same configuration as during the pre-event
audit, in order to guarantee that there were no changes during the election.
11.Citizen Verification, Phase II, April 18th. Technicians from the National Electoral
Council and the political organizations verified that the will of the electorate (backed up
by voting vouchers) matched the data on the precinct counts and the results in the
National Totaling Center at the end of Election Day. This test was performed on 1% of
the polling centers, randomly chosen.
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9. DOSSIER
Voting Process
08
1. The voter provides
his or her ID to a polling
station official, who checks
this information against
the registry.
2. If the person
is registered, his or her
details will appear,
including a photo
to confirm identification.
3. Then an authentication
device checks the voter’s
fingerprint. If it’s a match,
he or she can now vote.
4. The voter proceeds
to the voting machine.
An operator presses
the ‘activation’ button
so voting can begin.
5. Using the e-ballot,
the voter simply presses
the candidate or party
of his or her choice.
6. Once selected,
the voter verifies
his or her choice
on the voting machine’s
touchscreen.
7. The voter confirms
his or her choice
by pressing the ‘vote’
button.
8. The machine prints
a paper voting voucher,
reflecting the voter’s
choice. The voter places
his or her voucher
in the ballot box.
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
VENEZUELA 2013
10. El Universal
Successor of President Hugo Chávez will be chosen in 35 days | 03.10.2013
April 14th 2013. This is the date agreed by the rectors of the National Electoral Council
(CNE) to carry out elections to choose the political successor of Hugo Chávez. The candidate
chosen in this process will be President for the 2013-2019 term. Some 18,903,143 voters
can participate in the elections, including 100,495 Venezuelans registered to vote overseas.
http://www.eluniversal.com/nacional-y-politica/130310/en-35-dias-se-elegira-al-sucesor-del-presidente-hugo-chavez
AVN
Germán Yépez: Voting system is reliable | 03.10.2013
When speaking of the current Venezuelan voting system, Yépez stated that it is “the most
up-to-date there is, the one with the greatest number of audits, guaranteeing that there is
only one vote per person, and has a fingerprint capture device that works as a control
mechanism”.
http://www.avn.info.ve/contenido/germ%C3%A1ny%C3%A9pezch%C3%A1vez-logr%C3%B3-rescatar-orgullo-nuest
ro-origen-y-nuestra-historia
AVN
CNE expects Unasur visit before elections from March 17 to 22 | 02.13.2013
Socorro Hernández, main rector of the National Electoral Council (CNE), ratified Wednesday
that the invitations for the international accompaniment missions have been sent, and it is
expected that the South American Union of Nations (Unasur), one of the most important
organisms summoned, will perform a pre-electoral visit on March 17-22, necessary to carry
out revisions prior to the voting. Hernández also stated that the accompaniment mission
proper will begin on April 7 and that preparations to sign an agreement with the organism
are underway.
http://www.avn.info.ve/contenido/cne-prev%C3%A9-visita-pre-electoral-unasur-entre-17-y-22-marzo
Globovisión
International technicians witnessed engineering test at the CNE | 03.17.2013
Electoral technicians from countries belonging to the Electoral Council of the South American
Union of Nations (Unasur) and the Interamerican Union of Electoral Organisms (Uniore) are
in the country to take part in the scheduled pre-electoral activities.
This was informed by the president of the National Electoral Council, Tibisay Lucena, during
a statement criticising the interventionist opinions Roberta Jacobson, United States Assistant
Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs. Lucena stated that last Sunday’s engi-
neering test intended to verify the system’s proper operation was passed with flying colours.
http://globovision.com/articulo/tecnicos-internacionales-presenciaron-prueba-de-ingenieria-en-el-cne
09DOSSIER
Relevant news
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
VENEZUELA 2013
11. DOSSIER10
CNE
Guarantees for the April 14 elections are greater | 03.27.2013
The National Electoral Council decided last Tuesday, March 26, to expand the voting guarantees
for the April 14 elections by adding new measures to those decided last week. In a follow-up
of the organism’s permanent session, the rectors agreed to invite representatives from the
Carter Center as part of the international accompaniment program. The CNE reviewed
applications and postulates by political organizations partaking in the election in order to add
new guarantees that strengthen the transparency of the voting system. Among these
suggestions, for instance, we have the addition of a witness per candidate in the transmission
room of the Voter Information System (SIE).
http://www.cne.gov.ve/web/sala_prensa/noticia_detallada.php?id=3138
Minci
UNASUR Chief: Venezuelan voting system is “critics- and doubt-proof” |
03.29.2013
For Carlos “Chacho” Álvarez, Chief of the Unasur Accompaniment Mission, the country’s
voting system is “critics- and doubt-proof”, which translates into “great strength” for the
upcoming presidential elections of April 14. Álvarez expressed his confidence in heading the
mission in Venezuela on April 14, since the South American nation has a trustworthy and
reliable system.
http://www.minci.gob.ve/2013/03/jefe-de-unasursistemaelectoral-venezolano-es-a-prueba-de-criticos-y-cuestionamientos/
Venezuela al Día
CNE: Last audit to the technological platform took place without incidents |
04.09.2013
The president of the National Electoral Council (CNE), Tibisay Lucena, informed that the last
audit carried out on the technological process before the election took place “without any
problems” and “in absolute tranquility”.
“We are ready, prepared, very happy and satisfied with the Electoral Power, with the work
that we’ve done. The platform works perfectly and to its fullest capacity”, she stated.
http://www.venezuelaaldia.com/2013/04/cne-se-han-desplegado-46-mil-maquinas-de-votacion-para-el-14-a/
Noticia al Día
Vicente Díaz: the Venezuelan voting system is very reliable | 04.10.2013
Vicente Díaz, rector of the National Electoral Council (CNE), said that the Venezuelan voting
system is “very reliable” and its technological aspects have been evaluated. He added that
this is “the only 100% auditable e-voting system in the world”. He also stated that the CNE´s
main strength is its technical side.
http://noticiaaldia.com/2013/04/rector-diaz-el-sistema-electoral-es-sumamente-confiable/
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12. 11DOSSIER
Correo del Orinoco
Díaz Rangel: The Venezuelan voting system cannot be objected to | 04.10.2013
“The voting system cannot be objected to, it’s bullet-proof, it’s the safest system in the
world”, stressed the director of Venezuelan newspaper Últimas Noticias, Eleazar Díaz Rangel,
during an interview on Cruce de Palabras (Telesur). Díaz Rangel mentioned the recent
praises to the Venezuelan voting system by President Jimmy Carter, who characterized
it as “the best in the world”.
http://www.correodelorinoco.gob.ve/nacionales/diaz-rangel-sistema-electoral-venezolano-es-inobjetable/
En Oriente
Pre-dispatch audit done at the CNE | 04.10.2013
In the presence of the diplomatic corps accredited in the country, and the accompaniment
missions of both the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) and the Inter American
Union of Electoral Organisms (UNIORE), the pre-dispatch audit took place in the warehouses
of the National Electoral Council. During this activity, the proper operation of 195 voting
machines was verified, which represented a sample of 0.5% of the 39,018 machines distributed
throughout the country; these machines were chosen at random by the representatives of
the political parties each day of the manufacturing audit.
http://enoriente.com/noticias/politica/5923-realizada-auditoria-de-predespacho-en-el-cne
Globovisión
Rector Díaz guarantees that elections are ready from a technical standpoint |
04.12.2013
Vicente Díaz, rector of the National Electoral Coucnil (CNE), guaranteed that everything is
ready from a technical standpoint for next Sunday’s elections, despite the short preparation
time available. Díaz stated that the process is technically impeccable.
http://globovision.com/articulo/rector-diaz-asegura-que-las-elecciones-estan-a-punto-en-materia-tecnica
Unión Radio
Almost 600 observers will be deployed on 4/11 | 04.12.2013
The observation duties will be concentrated on an instrument that shows that machines are
online only when results are transmitted, the random selection of ballot boxes for audits and
voter mobilization.
http://www.unionradio.net/ActualidadUR/nota/visornota.aspx?id=140066&tpCont=1&idSec=3
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
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13. DOSSIER12
El Universal
Insulza designates special envoys for this Sunday’s elections | 04.12.2013
Representing General Secretary Insulza, Bill Richardson, Governor of New Mexico, will be
travelling as a special envoy together with the Secretary for External Relations of the OAS,
Alfonso Quiñónez, as per a press release from the institute.
http://www.eluniversal.com/nacional-y-politica/elecciones- 2013/130411/insulza-designa-enviados-especiales-para-
elecciones-del-domingo
Panorama
Know the technological novelties the CNE has in store for the 4/14 Presidential
Elections | 04.01.2013
In order to keep strengthening the transparency of Venezuelan electoral processes, the
National Electoral Council (CNE) ratified their guarantees for the upcoming April 14 elections,
and also passed additional measures that had been enforced in previous elections.
During a press conference at the CNE headquarters the president of the electoral authority,
TIbisay Lucena, detailed the following additions: the generation of a non-duplicity voting
report, the generation of a statistical report of the Integrated Authentication System (SAI),
and the publication of the functions of electoral coordinators and officials working for the
Plan República (military safeguarding of the process) in all polling centres.
http://www.panorama.com.ve/portal/app/push/noticia60666.php
Tecnología Superz
E-voting – a true technological revolution in politics | 04.12.2013
Few countries in the world use e-ballots for their elections. The USA and some European
countries do, but in many parts of the world, Latin America included, e-voting is a long way
from being implemented. However, in Venezuela we can find one of the most perfect
e-voting systems in the world; in a country with little over 30 million people, where in 14
years there have been 15 elections.
http://www.tecnologiasuperz.com/2013/04/voto-electronico-una-verdadera.html
El Nacional
The vote is secret and totally safeguarded | 04.13.2013
The voting machines are programmed to make impossible to correlate the voter’s info to his
choice. Voting is direct, universal and secret, and there is no technological mechanism that
can jeopardize it. The whole structure of the automated system is designed to guarantee it’s
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
VENEZUELA 2013
14. 13DOSSIER
tamper-proof. There is no way to know who people voted for in the machines, since there is
specific software that makes retrieving that information impossible; that data is also
encrypted.
http://impresodigital.el-nacional.com/ediciones/guardar/guardar.asp?dia=13&mes=04&anio=2013&archivo=N1_3N1
El Nacional
Answers to the most common myths | 04.13.2013
The voting machines are bidirectional: true. Every telecommunication device is bidirectional.
This bidirectionality allows for the votes to be modified: false. The transmission of information
is unidirectional. If the machine sends data, it needs to receive a confirmation that this
encrypted data was received correctly (feedback). The audits carried out by the political
parties certified that the information only arrives at the National Tallying Center of the CNE,
and there is no information coming into the machines. The vote is not secret and information
about the voter can be retrieved through the SAI: false.
http://impresodigital.el-nacional.com/ediciones/guardar/guardar.asp?dia=13&mes=04&anio=2013&archivo=N1_3N3
Últimas Noticias
Over 15 audits make the voting on 4/11 bullet-proof | 04.14.2013
Fifteen technical audits are performed on the different components that make up the voting
system. These include the Integrated Authentication System (SAI), the voting machine, the
e-ballot, the Voter Identification System (SIE), the transmission mechanisms and the vote
tallying system. There is a piece of software that scrambles the sequence in which the votes
are stored in the machine. The candidates have two additional witnesses at each poll. For the
authorities of the Electoral Power, and for the representatives of the political parties acting
on behalf of their candidates at the CNE, there is no doubting that the vote is secret, and
that the voting system is unbreakable.
http://www.ultimasnoticias.com.ve/noticias/tuvoto/noticiaselectorales/mas-de-15-auditorias-blindan-acto-de-votacio
n-del-.aspx
Últimas Noticias
Lucena: Voting system is invulnerable | 04.14.2013
The limited time the National Electoral Council had to organize today’s presidential elections
didn’t prevent the competing political parties from having the same guarantees as usual. At
least 17 audits took place before the voting, and following requests from the representatives
of the parties, new formulas that increase the observation of the several stages of the
process are now in place. The president of the Venezuelan Electoral Power, TIbisay Lucena,
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
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15. DOSSIER14
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told Últimas Noticias that “the vote is bullet-proof”, the automated system is invulnerable
and beyond the political arguments to which the CNE has been dragged to, the organism has
worked with other institutions and the political parties themselves to guarantee that the
election takes place without incidents.
http://www.ultimasnoticias.com.ve/noticias/tuvoto/noticiaselectorales/lucena-el-sistema-de-votacion-es-invulnerable.aspx
El Universal
The secrecy of the vote is guaranteed | 04.14.2013
Voting in Venezuela was and will be a secret affair; there is no evidence to the contrary. This
statement is backed up not only by technicians of the National Electoral Council (CNE)¸but
also the auditors accredited by the opposition to verify the operation of the voting system.
All voters will have to use the Integrated Authentication System (SAI) before voting. The
application running on the machine never handles the vote and the voter’s identity at the
same time.
http://www.eluniversal.com/nacional-y-politica/130414/el-secreto-del-voto-es-inviolable.
El Universal
Lucena: election results will be a faithful representation of the will of the people |
04.14.2013
The president of the National Electoral Council (CNE), TIbisay Lucena, stated Saturday night
that the results coming from the electoral organism after the polls close on April 14 will be a
faithful representation of the will of the people. “The results will be, as always, a faithful
representation of the sovereign will of the people”, she said during a national TV and radio
broadcast. Lucena ratified that there are guarantees for the election and that the process is
transparent. For this reason, she insisted that the country’s political figures should respect
the results since “acknowledging (the results) is respecting the choice of all Venezuelans”.
http://www.eluniversal.com/nacional-y-politica/elecciones-2013/130414/lucena-resultados-electorales-seran-fiel-refl
ejo-de-la-voluntad-del-pu
El Universal
Observers are deployed throughout the country | 04.14.2013
National and international members of the accompaniment missions accredited by the CNE
are deployed throughout the national territory, in order to observe the voting process taking
place today to choose the President who will guide Venezuela for the 2013-2019 term.
http://www.eluniversal.com/nacional-y-politica/130414/observadores-desplegados-en-todo-el-pais
16. 15DOSSIER
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Primicias24
@primicias24
P24: Carlos Álvarez: Venezuelan voting system is critics- and doubt-proof
http://bit.ly/11XalfI
YVKE Mundial
@YVKE_MUNDIAL
Sandra Oblitas: We have created a voting system that guarantees the will of the people
is expressed (+Audio) http://bit.ly/YEwpYH
La Radio del Sur
@laradiodelsur
President Maduro: Venezuela has the most transparent and perfect voting system in the
world, quoting Jimmy Carter
DecodingTheVote
@DecodingTheVote
Manual vote should generate more (a lot more) fear than automated voting. Here’s why.
http://mpnt.in/13RjCK4
Eugenio G. Martínez
@puzkas
Nowhere in the machine’s memory is there a record that correlates the voter’s information
with his choice. #14A
Red Social Unidad
@LaRedUnidad
You can’t “strike a deal with this machine or the other” to destroy votes or change a precinct count
http://bit.ly/YDireg
Globovisión
@globovision
Álvarez: We must separate political confrontation from the actual operation of the voting
system #Presidenciales2013 http://bit.ly/ZQ0M5W
17. DOSSIER16
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Noticias Venezuela
@NoticiasVenezue
Álvarez: There is a guarantee on the secrecy of the vote and the voting system is highly reliable
http://ow.ly/1UZpJn
La Patilla
@la_patilla
Unasur Accompaniement Mission: The Venezuelan voting system is solid, efficient and
reliable http://patil.la/12UpkHN
Noticias24
@noticias24
Félix Arroyo: "There is no risk that the voting system will be altered”
http://ow.ly/jMvvT
18. 17DOSSIER
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VENEZUELA 2013
Appreciation of the Venezuelan voting system
Tibisay Lucena. President of the CNE. 03.09.2013.
“The Electoral Power guarantees the robustness of the system as a
whole and of the process. The April 14 elections will be transparent,
reliable, efficient, swift, and above all, they will guarantee the will
of the people expressed through their votes”.
Vicente Díaz. Main rector of the CNE. 03.18.2013.
“There’s no possibility of fraud concerning the will of the people. The
results we get are real. The problem in this election is not of a technical
nature, it’s political”.
Jacqueline Faría. Head of Government of the Capital District.
03.18.2013
“We have the world’s best voting system, all its modalities have been
improved and modernized after each election; this is our 18th election
and the system is safer, bullet-proof, and more versatile. It’s the best
voting system available”.
Sandra Oblitas. Vice president of the CNE. 03.19.2013.
“The Venezuelan voting system guarantees that the results we get
after the polls close is a faithful representation of what the voters
expressed”.
Nicolás Maduro. Acting President of Venezuela. 03.19.2013
“We have the world’s most advanced voting system. This is so. People
such as the President Jimmy Carter, who said some months earlier:
Venezuela has the most perfect and transparent voting system in the
world. Carter said: I’ve been to 98 countries around the world to
observe elections, and I can say that Venezuela has the most perfect
voting system in the world.
Luis Lander (Professor of the UCV). 03.19.2013.
"We’ve come a long way in technological advances for the country’s
electoral processes”.
19. DOSSIER18
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Sobella Mejías, former rector of the National Electoral Council
04.12.2013.
“The choice of the voters has never been changed by the voting
machines. The technical side of the system is excellent. The times the
opposition has won elections is because they’ve gone to the polls in
massive numbers. The vote is secret”.
Vicente Bello. Electoral coordinator of UNT (political party)
for the CNE. 04.05.2013.
“The secrecy of the vote, the results and their transmission are
safeguarded for April 14. The software is protected by security codes
shared by all political parties and the electoral authority”.
Wilfredo Penco. General coordinator of the Union of South
American Nations (Unasur). 04.12.2013.
“As a consequence of the intense work we’ve done in these past two
weeks, we can responsibly affirm that the Venezuelan voting system
is solid, efficient and reliable. Therefore, the conditions are in place
for the upcoming April 14 elections to take place in the best possible way”.
20. 19DOSSIER
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS
VENEZUELA 2013
Country:
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
Capital:
Caracas
Population (estimated):
28,000,000
Territorial Division:
23 states, 1 Capital District
and Federal Dependancies
Type of State:
Federal descentralized
Project:
Presidential Election 2013
(for the 2013-2019 term)
Electoral Registry:
18,802,834
Voting Centers:
13,557
Electoral Authority:
National Electoral Council (CNE)
About Venezuela