elections in Venezuela

Elections in Venezuela are held at a national level for the President of Venezuela as head of state and head of government, and for a unicameral legislature. The President of Venezuela is elected for a six-year term by direct election plurality voting, and is eligible for re-election. The National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional) has 277 members (diputados), elected for five-year terms using a mixed-member majoritarian representation system. Elections also take place at state level and local level.

Since 1998, elections in Venezuela have been automated (using touch-screen DRE voting machines which provide a Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail), and administered by the National Electoral Council. The voting age is 18, and (as of 2011) 95% of eligible voters are legally registered.

Prior to the early 1990s, Venezuela was considered an unusually long-standing and stable liberal democracy in Latin America, having transitioned to democracy in 1958.{{Citation |title="Chávez Vete Ya": The Erosion of Democracy in Venezuela |date=2022 |work=Resisting Backsliding: Opposition Strategies against the Erosion of Democracy |pages=98–128 |editor-last=Gamboa |editor-first=Laura |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/resisting-backsliding/chavez-vete-ya-the-erosion-of-democracy-in-venezuela/8A32EBE5784D74ACEFE274F8BD12CC70 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |doi=10.1017/9781009164085.004 |isbn=978-1-009-16408-5 |quote=Up until the 1990s, Venezuela was one of the longest-running and most stable uninterrupted liberal democracies in Latin America. Today, it is an authoritarian regime. In nineteen years, Hugo Chávez and his successor, Nicolás Maduro, managed to destroy the system of checks and balances, end free and fair elections, and terminate political rights and civil liberties. The government has delayed and canceled elections, circumvented the authority of the elected legislature, imprisoned political opponents without trial, used lethal force against protesters, and banned opposition parties.}}{{Citation |last=Roberts |first=Kenneth M. |title=Populism and democracy in Venezuela under Hugo Chávez |date=2012 |work=Populism in Europe and the Americas: Threat or Corrective for Democracy? |pages=136–159 |editor-last=Mudde |editor-first=Cas |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/populism-in-europe-and-the-americas/populism-and-democracy-in-venezuela-under-hugo-chavez/FA3183273C9744A9A70FE4EBF71EB826 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |doi=10.1017/cbo9781139152365.008 |isbn=978-1-107-02385-7 |editor2-last=Rovira Kaltwasser |editor2-first=Cristóbal}}{{Cite journal |last=Mainwaring |first=Scott |date=2012 |title=From Representative Democracy to Participatory Competitive Authoritarianism: Hugo Chávez and Venezuelan Politics |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/perspectives-on-politics/article/abs/from-representative-democracy-to-participatory-competitive-authoritarianism-hugo-chavez-and-venezuelan-politics/C6BD75833B90AA310B02A6EEF29BA10E |journal=Perspectives on Politics |language=en |volume=10 |issue=4 |pages=955–967 |doi=10.1017/S1537592712002629 |issn=1537-5927}} After the victory of socialist populist Hugo Chávez in the 1998 presidential election, Venezuela gradually underwent democratic backsliding before transitioning to an authoritarian system of government where political and civil rights are not protected, and elections are not free and fair.{{Citation |title=Democratic Erosion in Venezuela, Representative Democracy in Brazil |date=2017 |work=State Crisis in Fragile Democracies: Polarization and Political Regimes in South America |pages=136–172 |editor-last=Handlin |editor-first=Samuel |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/state-crisis-in-fragile-democracies/democratic-erosion-in-venezuela-representative-democracy-in-brazil/8B5F1378F6A56DC11B68153BDDBC18D2 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |doi=10.1017/9781108233682.005 |isbn=978-1-108-41542-2}}{{Cite web |last=Corrales |first=Javier |date=2015 |title=The Authoritarian Resurgence: Autocratic Legalism in Venezuela |url=https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/the-authoritarian-resurgence-autocratic-legalism-in-venezuela/ |website=Journal of Democracy |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Boersner |first=Adriana |date=2021 |title=The Path Toward Authoritarianism in Venezuela |url=https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/display/document/obo-9780199756223/obo-9780199756223-0286.xml |website=Oxford Bibliographies |language=en}} Under Chávez's rule and later under the rule of his successor Nicolás Maduro, power has been concentrated in the hands of the executive, institutional checks and balances have been undermined, independent media have been repressed, and opposition forces have been marginalized in governing institutions, such as congress, courts, oversight agencies, the state-owned petroleum company (PDVSA), and the military.{{Cite book |last=Brewer-Carías |first=Allan R. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2m9-gYOs9K4C |title=Dismantling Democracy in Venezuela: The Chávez Authoritarian Experiment |date=2010 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-139-49235-5 |language=en}}

Politics are polarized between supporters of President Nicolás Maduro, organized as the United Socialist Party (PSUV) and the Great Patriotic Pole, and several opposition parties. Opposition parties and opposition candidates have regularly been banned from contesting elections. At other times, opposition parties have boycotted national elections, citing their undemocratic nature. Venezuela was ranked the third least electoral democracy in Latin America and the Caribbean according to V-Dem Democracy indices in 2023 with a score of 0.214 out of one.{{cite web |last=V-Dem Institute |date=2023 |title=The V-Dem Dataset |url=https://www.v-dem.net/data/the-v-dem-dataset/ |access-date=14 October 2023}}[https://www.v-dem.net/documents/29/V-dem_democracyreport2023_lowres.pdf Democracy Report 2023, Table 3, V-Dem Institute, 2023]

Result

=2000 Venezuelan parliamentary election=

{{Election results

|image=File:Asamblea Nacional de Venezuela elecciones 2000.svg

|party1=Fifth Republic Movement|votes1=1977992|seats1=92

|party2=Democratic Action (Venezuela)|Democratic Action|votes2=718148|seats2=33

|party3=Project Venezuela|votes3=309168|seats3=6

|party4=Copei|votes4=227349|seats4=6

|party5=Movement for Socialism (Venezuela)|Movement for Socialism|votes5=224170|seats5=6

|party6=Radical Cause|votes6=196787|seats6=3

|party7=Justice First|votes7=109900|seats7=5

|party8=Fatherland for All|votes8=101246|seats8=1

|party9=A New Era|votes9=78109|seats9=3

|party10=Fearless People's Alliance|votes10=49218|seats10=0

|party11=Voters of Miranda|votes11=48291|seats11=0

|party12=National Convergence|Convergence|votes12=47620|seats12=4

|party13=Democratic Left|votes13=37230|seats13=0

|party14=National Encounter|votes14=37036|seats14=0

|party15=United for Human Rights|votes15=33669|seats15=0

|party16=MIGATO|votes16=21044|seats16=1

|party17=Movement for Direct Democracy|votes17=19856|seats17=0

|party18=Communist Party of Venezuela|votes18=15997|seats18=0

|party19=Independent Solidarity|votes19=15272|seats19=0

|party20=Red Flag Party|votes20=14273|seats20=0

|party21=National Integration Movement|votes21=11234|seats21=0

|party22=Organisation Force in Motion|votes22=10547|seats22=0

|party23=Formula 1 (political party)|Formula 1|votes23=10163|seats23=0

|party24=Independents for National Community|votes24=7760|seats24=0

|party25=FCT|votes25=6869|seats25=0

|party26=Builders of a Country|votes26=6259|seats26=0

|party27=Caroni Decides|votes27=8788|seats27=0

|party28=Emerging People|votes28=5044|seats28=0

|party29=New Democratic Regime|votes29=4403|seats29=0

|party30=Organised Renovation And Emerging Group|votes30=4050|seats30=0

|party31=Revolutionary Apureño Movement|votes31=3952|seats31=0

|party32=People's Electoral Movement (Venezuela)|People's Electoral Movement|votes32=3738|seats32=0

|party34=Social Democratic Alliance|votes34=3173|seats34=0

|party35=Advanced Regional Movement|votes35=2939|seats35=0

|party36=Independent Regional Emerging Movement|votes36=2686|seats36=0

|party37=Voluntariado|votes37=2643|seats37=0

|party38=Democratic Republican Union|votes38=2641|seats38=0

|party39=Acijusta|votes39=2561|seats39=0

|party40=Communities United for Reason and Self-Esteem|votes40=2493|seats40=0

|party41=Trabuco Mirandino|votes41=2448|seats41=0

|party42=Justice Patrol|votes42=2439|seats42=0

|party43=Integration, Representation and New Hope|votes43=2401|seats43=0

|party44=United for Vargas|votes44=2348|seats44=0

|party45=Ospinero Independent Front for Portuguesa|votes45=2311|seats45=0

|party46=Iniciativa Propia|votes46=2163|seats46=0

|party47=Organised Independent Indigenous Movement|votes47=1967|seats47=0

|party48=United Multi-Ethnic Peoples of Amazonas|votes48=1837|seats48=1

|party49=Out of Love for Venezuela|votes49=1751|seats49=0

|party50=MDD|votes50=1733|seats50=0

|party51=Organised Citizen Option|votes51=1720|seats51=0

|party52=Towards the Good Homeland|votes52=1683|seats52=0

|party53=Social Cause|votes53=1659|seats53=0

|party54=Optimistic People|votes54=1540|seats54=0

|party55=New Insular Generation|votes55=1509|seats55=0

|party56=Renewing Democracy 2000|votes56=1505|seats56=0

|party57=Movimiento Civilista Adelante Cojedes|votes57=1398|seats57=0

|party58=Citizens in Action|votes58=1274|seats58=0

|party59=Voluntariado Organizado Zuliano|votes59=1181|seats59=0

|party60=Reto Popular Merideño|votes60=1112|seats60=0

|party61=Authentic Renewal Organization|votes61=1066|seats61=0

|party62=Comando de Partecipación Comunitaria|votes62=995|seats62=0

|party63=National Opinion|votes63=956|seats63=0

|party64=Movimiento Patriotico Ciudadano "Yo Existo"|votes64=936|seats64=0

|party65=Vision Social Constituyente|votes65=927|seats65=0

|party66=Apoyo Profesional|votes66=912|seats66=0

|party67=Organización Contra el Abuso|votes67=762|seats67=0

|party68=Fuerza Popular|votes68=747|seats68=0

|party69=Caricuao Somos Todos |votes69=740|seats69=0

|party70=Depostistas|votes70=711|seats70=0

|party71=Rompe el Silencio|votes71=695|seats71=0

|party72=Movimiento Ecologico para la Vida|votes72=693|seats72=0

|party73=Pueblo Revolucionario al Cambio y Desarrollo Larense|votes73=688|seats73=0

|party74=Movimiento Democratico|votes74=687|seats74=1

|party75=Fuerza Activa de Partecipación|votes75=635|seats75=0

|party76=Partecipación Popular|votes76=590|seats76=0

|party77=Frente Civico de Militantes Zulianos|votes77=576|seats77=0

|party78=Movimiento 100|votes78=567|seats78=0

|party79=Frente Insular Organizado de Electores|votes79=547|seats79=0

|party80=Patriotas Revolucionarios Independientes|votes80=545|seats80=0

|party81=Decision de Portuguesa|votes81=544|seats81=0

|party82=Poder Vecinal|votes82=535|seats82=0

|party83=Movimiento Unitario Real Opcion|votes83=527|seats83=0

|party84=Foro Democratico|votes84=524|seats84=0

|party85=Opening for National Participation|votes85=522|seats85=0

|party86=Movimiento Republicano|votes86=511|seats86=0

|party87=Guaiqueres en Acción|votes87=509|seats87=0

|party88=Frente Nacionalista Maisanta|votes88=508|seats88=0

|party89=Movimiento De Base Parroquial Zuliano|votes89=508|seats89=0

|party90=RC|votes90=472|seats90=0

|party91=TU CAMINO|votes91=457|seats91=0

|party92=ARENA|votes92=455|seats92=0

|party93=MOV 20|votes93=451|seats93=0

|party94=REALCI|votes94=429|seats94=0

|party95=CAMVIO|votes95=403|seats95=0

|party96=FALCONIA|votes96=396|seats96=0

|party97=AR|votes97=386|seats97=0

|party98=DP|votes98=379|seats98=0

|party99=EL|votes99=372|seats99=0

|party100=SOLUCION|votes100=370|seats100=0

|party101=MIAU|votes101=368|seats101=0

|party102=APD|votes102=363|seats102=0

|party103=M2000|votes103=359|seats103=0

|party104=ACTIVE|votes104=356|seats104=0

|party105=VOTAUNIDOS|votes105=351|seats105=0

|party106=CENUREPU|votes106=350|seats106=0

|party107=PODER MORAL|votes107=341|seats107=0

|party108=G CONDOR|votes108=332|seats108=0

|party109=IPRS|votes109=329|seats109=0

|party110=OPC REG 98|votes110=327|seats110=0

|party111=PROY III MELENIO|votes111=322|seats111=0

|party112=MCR 200|votes112=320|seats112=0

|party113=FPC|votes113=313|seats113=0

|party114=CON|votes114=312|seats114=0

|party115=MP|votes115=307|seats115=0

|party116=NFG|votes116=289|seats116=0

|party117=PPA|votes117=289|seats117=0

|party118=CON GUARICO|votes118=285|seats118=0

|party119=MDR|votes119=285|seats119=0

|party120=SOID SIGLO XXI|votes120=269|seats120=0

|party121=EL PODER 7|votes121=261|seats121=0

|party122=TRIPLE C|votes122=256|seats122=0

|party123=IND AL 2000|votes123=241|seats123=0

|party124=MEV VARGAS|votes124=239|seats124=0

|party125=ASIR|votes125=238|seats125=0

|party126=AB 2000|votes126=237|seats126=0

|party127=IAP|votes127=228|seats127=0

|party128=FT|votes128=223|seats128=0

|party129=VARGAS AL PRO|votes129=223|seats129=0

|party130=IPV|votes130=216|seats130=0

|party131=VEA|votes131=216|seats131=0

|party132=BS21|votes132=214|seats132=0

|party133=MHM|votes133=202|seats133=0

|party134=UVI|votes134=193|seats134=0

|party135=IS|votes135=187|seats135=0

|party136=AMI|votes136=180|seats136=0

|party137=PN|votes137=169|seats137=0

|party138=FRD|votes138=163|seats138=0

|party139=CORDIALIDAD|votes139=144|seats139=0

|party140=POPA|votes140=129|seats140=0

|party141=MOREI 2000|votes141=116|seats141=0

|party142=VEA|votes142=109|seats142=0

|party143=T UCLAS|votes143=103|seats143=0

|party144=MOCI|votes144=101|seats144=0

|party145=MLI|votes145=100|seats145=0

|party146=MRG 2000|votes146=100|seats146=0

|party147=AV 98|votes147=94|seats147=0

|party148=CONPACO|votes148=94|seats148=0

|party149=PACIFICO|votes149=90|seats149=0

|party150=SER|votes150=88|seats150=0

|party151=POETA|votes151=84|seats151=0

|party152=AI|votes152=80|seats152=0

|party153=MIO|votes153=77|seats153=0

|party154=INITA|votes154=74|seats154=0

|party155=MIA AMAZONAS|votes155=71|seats155=0

|party156=PM|votes156=71|seats156=0

|party157=DEPURACION|votes157=70|seats157=0

|party158=FAI|votes158=64|seats158=0

|party159=CFPI|votes159=61|seats159=0

|party160=PCMI|votes160=58|seats160=0

|party161=MJPT|votes161=57|seats161=0

|party162=MUPI|votes162=49|seats162=0

|party163=OPIC|votes163=48|seats163=0

|party164=GIR AMAZONAS|votes164=41|seats164=0

|party165=MOVE|votes165=40|seats165=0

|party166=MU CAMBIO|votes166=39|seats166=0

|party167=DR 2000|votes167=38|seats167=0

|party168=INCVF|votes168=35|seats168=0

|party169=MOVES 21|votes169=33|seats169=0

|party170=PARTICIPA|votes170=21|seats170=0

|party171=MEAI|votes171=13|seats171=0

|party172=MIRA|votes172=8|seats172=0

|party173=TSV|votes173=8|seats173=0

|party174=CI|votes174=5|seats174=0

|row175=National Council of Venezuelan Indians|Indigenous representatives|seats175=3

}}

=2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election=

{{Election results

|image=File:Venezuela Assemblée nationale 2020.svg

|firstround=Party-list|secondround=Constituency

|row59=Indigenous seats|totseats59=3

}}

History

=1811–1889: First congress and presidents=

On 18 April 1810, agents of the Spanish Regency arrived in the city of Caracas. After considerable political tumult, the local nobility announced an extraordinary open hearing of the cabildo (the municipal council) on 19 April. On that day, an expanded municipal government of Caracas took power in the name of Ferdinand VII, calling itself The Supreme Junta to Preserve the Rights of Ferdinand VII. The Caracas Junta called for the convention of a congress of the Venezuelan provinces which began meeting the following March, at which time the Junta dissolved itself.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} Francisco de Miranda was elected to the Congress and began agitating for independence.

File:Juan Lovera 2012 007.jpg, first president of the First Republic of Venezuela, took office on July 5, 1811. All three initial presidents had been signatories on the Venezuelan Declaration of Independence.]]

In March 1811 during the Spanish American wars of independence, the first Venezuelan constitutional congress established the executive power a triumvirate in which three men shared executive power and rotated the presidency every week. Cristóbal Mendoza became a member of the triumvirate that headed the First Republic of Venezuela and was unanimously elected by the other two as the first to go in rotation on 5 March 1811. Mendoza was author of the Venezuelan Declaration of Independence, formally issued on 5 July 1811,In Spanish: [http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/servlet/SirveObras/04476838628769323836591/p0000001.htm Venezuelan Declaration of Independence], Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes on which date the presidential designation also took effect. The first Constitution of the Republic of Venezuela was designed in December 1811.Briceño Perozo, Mario. "Mendoza, Cristóbal de" in Diccionario de Historia de Venezuela, Vol. 3. Caracas: Fundación Polar, 1999. {{ISBN|980-6397-37-1}} The Congress established a Confederation called the United States of Venezuela in the Constitution, crafted mostly by lawyer Juan Germán Roscio, that it ratified on 21 December 1811. The Constitution created a strong bicameral legislature and, as also happened in neighboring New Granada, the Congress kept the weak executive consisting of a triumvirate.In Spanish: [http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/servlet/SirveObras/02461621981246052976613/index.htm Federal Constitution of 1811] Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes. The Constitution uses la Confederación and los Estados Unidos de Venezuela interchangeably.

A second triumvirate followed on April 3, 1812.{{in lang|es}} {{cite web|title=Presidentes de Venezuela|url=http://www.consulvenbucaramanga.com/presidentes.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20100801095731/http://www.consulvenbucaramanga.com/presidentes.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2010-08-01|publisher=Consulado General de Bucaramanga}}Briceño Perozo, Mario. "Mendoza, Cristóbal de" in Diccionario de Historia de Venezuela, Vol. 3. Caracas: Fundación Polar, 1999. {{ISBN|978-980-6397-37-8}}. The presidency was disestablished in 1813, when Simon Bolivar established the Third Republic of Venezuela (1817–1819). In 1830, José Antonio Páez declared Venezuela independent from Gran Colombia and became president, taking office on January 13, 1830. Presidents of Venezuela who served under the 1864 constitution (starting with Juan Crisóstomo Falcón) bore the title of "President of the Union", instead of the usual "President of the Republic" still used today. Aside from that, all heads of state of the country since 1811 have held the title of "President of Venezuela."

=1900–1989: First democratic elections=

El Trienio Adeco was a period in Venezuelan history from 1945 to 1948 under the government of Democratic Action, a party which gained office via the 1945 Venezuelan coup d'état against President Isaías Medina Angarita of the two-year-old Venezuelan Democratic Party. El Trienio Adeco saw the first democratic elections in Venezuelan history, beginning with the Constituent Assembly elections held in Venezuela on 27 October 1946, Democratic Action, which won 137 of the 160 seats in the Assembly. Voter turnout was 86.6%.Nohlen, p568

General elections held in Venezuela on 14 December 1947Nohlen, D (2005) Elections in the Americas: A data handbook, Volume II, p555 {{ISBN|978-0-19-928358-3}} are described as the first honest elections in Venezuela. At the time, there were 110 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 46 seats in the Senate, with Democratic Action winning a majority of both.

The 1948 Venezuelan coup d'état took place on 24 November 1948, when elected president Rómulo Gallegos was overthrown a year after his election. Democracy would not be restored until the 1958 Venezuelan coup d'état overthrew the dictator Marcos Pérez Jiménez.

A referendum on the presidential term and national and regional governors was held on 15 December 1957, resulting in the referendum's approval. Voters were asked whether they approved of President Marcos Pérez Jiménez remaining in power without fresh elections, and appointing government nominees as members of the national parliament, regional assemblies and local councils.Nohlen, p566 The referendum was held under non-democratic conditions. Jiménez was overthrown the following year.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}}

In the 7 December 1958 general elections, voter turnout was recorded at 94.4% in the presidential election and 92.1% in the Congressional elections. Democratic Action again swept the elections, winning the presidency and two majorities.

=1990–1999: Later constitutions=

The 1998 presidential election was the first to be carried out with a new National Electoral Council. Traditionally poll workers had been provided by the parties, but in this election "a lottery was set up to draft 300,000 registered voters as poll workers". The elections also saw "the world's first automated voting system, which featured a single integrated electronic network that was supposed to transmit the results from the polling stations to central headquarters within minutes." The automated vote system enabled the Electoral Council to announce the results within 2.5 hours of the polls closing. After corroborating the results with the Carter Center, the losing candidate conceded several hours later.McCoy, Jennifer (1999), "Chavez and the End of "Partyarchy" in Venezuela", Journal of Democracy, 10(3), pp64-77 In the 1998 presidential elections, one of candidate Hugo Chávez's electoral promises was to organize a referendum asking the people if they wanted to convene a National Constituent Assembly. His first decree as president was thus to order such a referendum, which took place on 19 April. The electorate were asked two questions{{spaced ndash}}whether a constituent assembly should be convened, and whether it should follow the mechanisms proposed by the president.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}} The 1998 parliamentary elections were on 8 November 1998. There were 207 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 54 seats in the Senate.Nohlen, p575Nohlen, p573

Under the new Bolivarian 1999 Constitution, the legislative branch of Government in Venezuela is represented by a unicameral National Assembly. The Assembly is made up of 165 deputies (diputados), who are elected by "universal, direct, personal, and secret" vote on a national party-list proportional representation system. In addition, three deputies are returned on a state-by-state basis, and three seats were reserved for representatives of Venezuela's indigenous peoples. All deputies serve five-year terms.{{citation needed|date=August 2016}} In 1999 a two-term limit of six years each was established for the President of Venezuela.

=2000–present: Recent elections=

In 2007 the leading Fifth Republic Movement (MVR) party dissolved and the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) formed as the leading government party. On 15 August 2007, PSUV founder and Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez proposed an amendment to 33 articles of Venezuela's 350-article Constitution.{{cite news|url= http://www.sandhaanu.net/news/117/ARTICLE/1439/2007-11-18.html |title= Understanding constitutional reform in Venezuela (a background) |date= 18 November 2007 |publisher= Maldives Independent News Media |access-date= 4 December 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071123132319/http://www.sandhaanu.net/news/117/ARTICLE/1439/2007-11-18.html |archive-date= 23 November 2007 |url-status= dead }}{{cite web|url= http://www.cne.gov.ve/elecciones/referendo_constitucional2007/documentos/Reforma.pdf |title= Reforma de la constitución de la República Bolivariana de Venezuela |publisher= National Electoral Council (Venezuela) |access-date= 4 December 2007 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080216050740/http://www.cne.gov.ve/elecciones/referendo_constitucional2007/documentos/Reforma.pdf |archive-date= 16 February 2008 |language= es |url-status= dead }} Chávez stated that the proposed constitutional reforms were needed to complete the transition to a socialist republic{{cite web|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7119371.stm|title= Q&A: Venezuela's referendum|work= BBC News|date =30 November 2007|access-date= 4 December 2007}} and to implement his Bolivarian Revolution.{{cite web|author= Kofman, Jeffrey|url= http://www.abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=3945080&page=1|publisher= ABC Global News|title= Tension, Then Surprise, Chavez Loses Reform Vote|date= 3 December 2007|access-date= 3 December 2007}} The proposal was narrowly defeated by 51 to 49 percent.{{cite news|url= https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/03/world/americas/03venezuela.html?_r=1&hp=&oref=login&pagewanted=print|date= 3 December 2007|title= Venezuela Hands Narrow Defeat to Chávez Plan|author= Romero, Simon|work= New York Times|access-date= 3 December 2007}} In 2009 a constitutional referendum resulted in the abolition of term limits for the office of President of Venezuela.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7891856.stm |title=Venezuelan leader wins key reform |work=BBC News |date=16 February 2009 |access-date=16 February 2009 |archive-date=21 February 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221223059/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7891856.stm |url-status=live }}

The 2010 parliamentary elections took place on 26 September 2010{{Cite web|url= http://www.cne.gov.ve/noticiaDetallada.php?id=4797 |title =Bienvenidos al portal del Consejo Nacional Electoral |publisher= Cne.gov.ve |access-date= 2010-08-21|language= es}} {{Dead link|date= October 2010|bot= H3llBot}} to elect the 165 deputies to the National Assembly. Venezuelan opposition parties (which had boycotted the previous 2005 election, thus allowing the MVR to gain a supermajority) participated in the election through the Coalition for Democratic Unity (MUD).Devereux, Chrlie and Corina Rodriguez Pons. Business Week, 27 September 2010. [http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-09-27/venezuela-s-opposition-pushes-back-chavez-in-vote.html "Venezuela’s Opposition Pushes Back Chavez in Vote".]{{dead link|date=April 2023|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}Constitution of Venezuela, article 203 (page 75) {{cite web |url= http://www.analitica.com/bitblioteca/venezuela/constitucion_ingles.pdf |title= Archived copy |access-date= 2009-11-01 |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060406134952/http://www.analitica.com/bitblioteca/venezuela/constitucion_ingles.pdf |archive-date=2006-04-06 }}

The National Electoral council scheduled regional elections for 16 December 2012 to elect state governors and state legislators,[http://www.noticias24.com/actualidad/noticia/324378/cne-anuncia-que-el-16-de-septiembre-se-realizaran-las-elecciones-de-gobernaciones/ Definidas las fechas de elecciones para Gobernadores y Alcaldes] {{Webarchive|url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160221103654/http://www.noticias24.com/actualidad/noticia/324378/cne-anuncia-que-el-16-de-septiembre-se-realizaran-las-elecciones-de-gobernaciones/ |date=2016-02-21 }} Noticias24, 20 September 2011 – "El 16 de diciembre de 2012 serán las elecciones de Gobernadores y Consejos Legislativos Regionales [...]." {{in lang|es}} with PSUV winning the governorships of 20 of the 23 states.[http://globovision.com/articulo/presidenta-del-cne-anuncia-resultados-de-comicios-regionales/ PSUV gana 19 gobernaciones] {{webarchive|url= https://web.archive.org/web/20121219024030/http://globovision.com/articulo/presidenta-del-cne-anuncia-resultados-de-comicios-regionales |date= 2012-12-19 }} Globovision, 16 December 2012 {{in lang|es}} Voter turnout was 53%.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-20745262 Hugo Chavez allies win 20 of 23 Venezuela governorships] BBC News, 17 December 2012

New versions of the Basic Law of Electoral Processes ({{langx|es|Ley Orgánica de Procesos Electorales}}, LOPE) were issued by the CNE on 7 June 2012{{cite Q|Q129505865|trans-title=Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela National Electoral Council Resolution No. 120607-367 – Caracas, 7 June 2012 – 202° and 153°}} and 18 January 2013.{{cite Q|Q129504811|trans-title=Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela National Electoral Council Resolution No. 130118-0005 – Caracas, 18 January 2013 – 202° and 153°}}

Venezuela's municipal elections were delayed from their intended date of 14 April 2013 after the death of President Hugo Chávez on 5 March 2013, as a new presidential election was also scheduled for 14 April.{{cite web | url= http://www.eluniversal.com/nacional-y-politica/130530/elecciones-municipales-se-haran-el-proximo-8-de-diciembre | title= Elecciones municipales se harán el próximo 8 de diciembre | publisher= El Universal | date= 30 May 2013 | access-date= 6 March 2015}} Winning the vote by a narrow margin, Nicolás Maduro was sworn in as the new president on 19 April 2013.{{cite news|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-22220526|title= Nicolas Maduro sworn in as new Venezuelan president|work= BBC News|date= 19 April 2013|access-date= 18 June 2013}}{{cite news|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-23610744|title= Venezuela top court rejects Capriles' election appeal|work= BBC News|date= 7 August 2013|access-date= 7 August 2013}} After around an eight-month delay, municipal elections on December 8, 2013, elected 337 mayors and 2,455 local councillors for their respective 2013–2017 terms.

The parliamentary elections in 2015 took place on 6 December 2015 to elect the 164 deputies and three indigenous representatives of the National Assembly. The result was a decisive defeat for the ruling PSUV, which lost control of the Assembly for the first time since 1999. The Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) won the majority of seats.{{cite news|last1= Dreier|first1= Hannah|title= Venezuela's Opposition Wins Control of National Assembly|url= https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/venezuelas-opposition-wins-control-national-assembly-35616983|access-date= 7 December 2015|agency= ABC News|date= 7 December 2015}}

A week after the 2015 parliamentary elections, the outgoing National Assembly created the "National Communal Parliament", with President Maduro stating "All power to the Communal parliament".{{cite news|title= After losing control of Parliament, Venezuelan socialists create a new one|url= http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2015/12/16/after-losing-control-congress-venezuelan-socialists-create-new-one/|access-date= 20 December 2015|work= Fox News Latino|date= 16 December 2015|language= en-US|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151219083433/http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/news/2015/12/16/after-losing-control-congress-venezuelan-socialists-create-new-one/|archive-date= 2015-12-19|url-status= dead}} The move was described by Janes Information Services as an attempt "to sideline and leapfrog the incoming opposition-controlled National Assembly".{{cite web|title= Government-sponsored creation of 'National Communal Parliament' in Venezuela underlines efforts to sideline recently elected opposition-controlled legislature|url= http://www.janes.com/article/56693/government-sponsored-creation-of-national-communal-parliament-in-venezuela-underlines-efforts-to-sideline-recently-elected-opposition-controlled-legislature|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20151218015357/http://www.janes.com/article/56693/government-sponsored-creation-of-national-communal-parliament-in-venezuela-underlines-efforts-to-sideline-recently-elected-opposition-controlled-legislature|url-status= dead|archive-date= 18 December 2015|website= IHS Jane's|access-date= 20 December 2015}} The process to hold a Venezuelan recall referendum to vote on recalling Maduro started on 2 May 2016.{{cite web

| url = https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-36576771

| title = Venezuela starts validating recall referendum signatures

| date = June 21, 2016

| publisher = BBC

| access-date = August 8, 2016}} In July 2016, the Venezuelan government stated that if enough signatures were collected in the second petition stage, a recall vote would be held no sooner than 2017.{{cite web

| url = https://www.reuters.com/article/us-venezuela-politics-idUSKCN10C3DV

| title = Venezuela election board okays opposition recall push first phase

| last = Cawthorne

| first = Andrew

| date = August 1, 2016

| publisher = Reuters

| access-date = August 8, 2016}} However, the government cancelled the recall movement on 21 October 2017, with conventional media{{where?|date=May 2019}} describing President Maduro as a dictator following the suspension of movement.{{cite web|url= http://www.americasquarterly.org/content/venezuelas-odd-transition-dictatorship|title= Venezuela's Odd Transition to Dictatorship|last1= Corrales|first1= Javier|work= Americas Quarterly|access-date= 3 May 2019 | quote =By suspending the process to carry out a recall referendum on President Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela became the only country in Latin America since the late 1970s to experience the transition to a full dictatorship. }}{{cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/21/venezuela-president-maduro-recall-referendum|title= Venezuelans warn of 'dictatorship' after officials block bid to recall Maduro|last1= Brodzinsky|first1= Sibylla|date= 21 October 2016|work= The Guardian|access-date= 3 May 2019 | quote = 'The government has just killed the only democratic window left,' said Nicmer Evans, a leftist political analyst who is deeply critical of Maduro. 'The government went from being a competitive authoritarian [regime] to absolute authoritarianism,' he told the Venezuelan news website Efecto Cocuyo.}}{{cite news|url= http://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2016/08/23/almagro-maduro-se-transforma-en-dictador-por-negarle-a-venezolanos-derecho-a-decidir-su-futuro/#0|title= Almagro: Maduro se transforma en dictador por negarles a venezolanos derecho a decidir su futuro|date= 24 August 2016|work= CNN en Español|access-date= 10 December 2016 | quote = Tras decir en una carta abierta a Leopoldo López que su condena es 'el final de la democracia en Venezuela['], el secretario general de la OEA, Luis Almagro, aseguró a CNN en Español que Nicolás Maduro se estaría convirtiendo en 'un dictador' por negarle a los venezolanos su 'derecho de decidir su futuro político'.}}

After Venezuela entered into a constitutional crisis when the Supreme Tribunal removed power from the National Assembly, months of protests occurred in 2017, resulting in President Maduro calling for the rewriting of the constitution. The 2017 Venezuelan Constituent Assembly election took place, electing all pro-Maduro candidates to the Constituent Assembly of Venezuela, removing power from the National Assembly once again.{{cite news|url= https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-40704184|title= What are Venezuelans voting for and why is it so divisive?|date= 30 July 2017|work= BBC News|access-date= 30 July 2017}}

{{Cite news

|url= https://in.reuters.com/article/venezuela-politics-idINKBN1AE0JM

|title= Venezuelan opposition promises new tactics after Sunday's vote

|last= Bronstein

|first= Hugh

|work= Reuters India

|access-date= 2017-07-30

|language= en-IN

|archive-date= 2019-04-07

|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190407042827/https://in.reuters.com/article/venezuela-politics-idINKBN1AE0JM

|url-status= dead

}} In December 2020, the Venezuelan Constitutional Assembly was dismantled without presenting a draft for the new constitution.{{Cite web |date=2021-01-14 |title=Constituyente venezolana se esfumó entre polémicas y sin otra Constitución |url=https://www.vozdeamerica.com/a/venezuela_constituyente-venezolana-se-esfumo-entre-polemicas-y-sin-otra-constitucion/6070721.html |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=Voz de América |language=es}}

On July 28, 2024, presidential elections were held for the term of 2025 - 2031, where the incumbent President, Nicolas Maduro, ran against Edmungo Gonzalez. {{Cite web |last=Otis |first=John |date=July 26, 2024 |title=What to know about Venezuela's election, as Maduro faces stiff opposition |url=https://www.npr.org/2024/07/26/nx-s1-5051813/venezuela-election-nicolas-maduro-opposition-edmundo-gonzalez}} The result of the election became contested as the government claimed Nicolas Maduro won with 51.90% of the vote.{{Cite news |last=Kurmanaev |first=Anatoly |date=2024-07-29 |title=Here’s What to Know About Venezuela’s Flawed Election |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/29/world/americas/venezuela-election-takeaways.html |access-date=2024-08-25 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} However, international organism including the Carter center and the United Nations contested this claim as being false and filled with irregularities. {{Cite web |title=Carter Center Statement on Venezuela Election |url=https://www.cartercenter.org/news/pr/2024/venezuela-073024.html |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=The Carter Center |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=Schmidt |first=Samantha |date=2024-08-14 |title=U.N. experts say Venezuela election results lack basic transparency |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/08/13/venezuela-election-results-un-report/ |access-date=2024-08-25 |work=Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}} On the other hand, the opposition published the detailed electoral results in the form of scanned copies of the tally sheets on the website resultadospresidencialesvenezuela2024.com {{Cite web |date=2024-08-02 |title=AP review of Venezuela opposition-provided vote tallies casts doubt on government’s election results |url=https://apnews.com/article/venezuela-maduro-machado-biden-gonzalez-a625eb01979bc9cf5570d03242f198b1 |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=AP News |language=en}} The opposition was able to obtain 83.50% of the reported tallies, showing that the candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won with 67.08% of the votes.https://static.resultadosconvzla.com/RESULTADOS_2024_CSV_V2.csv

Voting system

=Electoral registration=

Under the 1999 Constitution of Venezuela, all Venezuelans over the age of 18 have the right to vote (Article 64). Additionally, long-term resident non-nationals over 18 (resident over 10 years) have the right to vote in regional and local elections (Article 64). Article 56 specifies that everyone has "the right to be registered free of charge with the Civil Registry Office after birth, and to obtain public documents constituting evidence of their biological identity, in accordance with the law."

According to the National Electoral Council, the proportion of the voting-age population on the Electoral Register has risen from 80% in 1998 to 95% in 2011, with 19m (including nearly 100,000 voters outside Venezuela) registered in 2012 compared with 12m in 2003.Venezuelan Embassy in the UK, 20 May 2012, [http://embavenez.co.uk/pdf/cne/cne3.pdf THE VENEZUELAN ELECTORAL SYSTEM AND THE ELECTIONS OF 2012] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200928095027/http://embavenez.co.uk/pdf/cne/cne3.pdf |date=2020-09-28 }}, accessed 30 April 2013 Voters register fingerprints and identity card details onto the Electoral Register, and these are to be verified during the voting process.

=Electoral system=

Venezuela elects at a national level the President of Venezuela as head of state and head of government, and a unicameral federal legislature. The President is elected for a six-year term by direct election plurality voting, and is (since the 2009 Venezuelan constitutional referendum) eligible for re-election. The National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional) has 165 members (diputados), elected for five-year terms (see #Parliamentary voting system below).

Party system

{{See also|Politics of Venezuela|List of political parties in Venezuela}}

=Background=

File:RB, votando en los comicios del 27 de octubre de 1946.JPG voting in the 1946 elections]]

Democracy in Venezuela developed during the twentieth century, with Democratic Action (founded in 1941) and its antecedents playing an important role in the early years. Democratic Action led the government during Venezuela's first democratic period (1945–1948). After an intervening decade of dictatorship (1948–1958) saw AD excluded from power, four Venezuelan presidents came from Democratic Action from the 1960s to the 1990s. This period, incorrectly called the "Fourth Republic" by Hugo Chavez and his followers, is marked by the development of the Punto Fijo Pact between the major parties (originally including the Democratic Republican Union, which later dwindled in significance), with the notable exclusion of the Communist Party of Venezuela. By the end of the 1990s, however, the now two-party system's credibility was almost nonexistent, mostly because of the corruption and poverty that Venezuelans experienced because of the debt crisis developed during the 1980s. Democratic Action's last president (Carlos Andrés Pérez) was impeached for corruption in 1993, and spent several years in prison as a result. The other main traditional party Copei, provided two Venezuelan presidents (Rafael Caldera, 1969–1974, and Luis Herrera Campins, 1979–1983).

=Current=

Confidence in the traditional parties collapsed enough that the 1993 presidential elections were won by Rafael Caldera on around 30% of the vote, representing a new electoral coalition, National Convergence. By 1998, support for Democratic Action and COPEI had fallen still further, and the 1998 election was won by political outsider Hugo Chávez.

Since then, a range of newer parties (such as A New Era and Justice First) have been more prominent in opposition to Chávez than the traditional main parties Democratic Action and COPEI. The United Socialist Party of Venezuela (Partido Socialista Unido de Venezuela, PSUV) was created in 2007, uniting a number of smaller parties supporting Chávez' Bolivarian Revolution with Chávez' Fifth Republic Movement. It is the lead party of the Great Patriotic Pole coalition. The Democratic Unity Roundtable (Mesa de la Unidad Democrática, MUD), created in 2008, unites much of the opposition. Hugo Chávez, the central figure of the Venezuelan political landscape since 1998, died in office in early 2013, and was succeeded by Nicolás Maduro (initially as interim President, before narrowly winning the 2013 Venezuelan presidential election).

Polling procedure

Since 1998 elections in Venezuela have become more automated, and administered by the National Electoral Council, with poll workers drafted via a lottery of registered voters. Polling places are equipped with multiple touch-screen DRE voting machines, one per "mesa electoral", or voting "table". After the vote is cast, each machine prints out a paper ballot, or VVPAT, which is inspected by the voter and deposited in a ballot box belonging to the machine's table. The voting machines perform in a stand-alone fashion, disconnected from any network until the polls close.Consejo Nacional Electoral [http://www.cne.gov.ve/elecciones/presidencial2006/documentos/ManualPresidencial2006.zip Manual Operativo para Miembros, Secretaria o Secretario de Mesa Electoral] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927013043/http://www.cne.gov.ve/elecciones/presidencial2006/documentos/ManualPresidencial2006.zip |date=September 27, 2007 }}. Retrieved 28 November 2006 {{in lang|es}} Voting session closure at each of the voting stations in a given polling center is determined either by the lack of further voters after the lines have emptied, or by the hour, at the discretion of the president of the voting table.

Voters register fingerprints and identity card details onto the Electoral Register, and these are verified during the voting process. Voters sign a register to confirm that they have voted, and have a finger marked with election ink.The Guardian, 14 April 2013, [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/apr/14/venezuela-votes-hi-tech-poll-chavez-successor Venezuela votes in hi-tech poll to choose Chávez successor]

In March 2018, Smartmatic, the British electoral products company (now SGO Corporation) which had participated in the majority of elections under the Bolivarian government, ceased operations in Venezuela, stating that they could no longer guarantee the validity of election results through its machines.{{cite news|url=https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180306005537/en/Smartmatic-Announces-Cease-Operations-Venezuela|title=Smartmatic Announces Cease of Operations in Venezuela|date=6 March 2018|work=Business Wire|access-date=8 March 2018|language=en}}

=Tally scrutinization=

After the polls close at any voting table, the following steps are carried out:

The DRE voting machine is ordered to close the voting session.
Tally scrutinization announced.
Each voting machine prints an original tally sheet, each has a voter total and the number of votes cast for each candidate cast in that particular machine/table.
Each voting machine is connected to the network and the results are sent to the vote counting center.
Nine extra tally sheets are printed and distributed to the staff and the six representatives of the candidates that received the most votes.
With the original tally sheet in hand the total number of votes cast is compared to the signed up sheet or electoral notebook. Finally, for those machines chosen for the audit (see below) the electoral ballots, or paper trails, are counted one by one to determine if they add up to the totals in the tally sheet. Any anomaly is mentioned in the tally sheet report, signed by the staff and auditors, and then sealed and given to the military for delivery to the CNE.

=Random paper ballot audit=

Once the tally scrutinization is complete the staff proceeds to perform a random paper ballot audit of 54.31% of the machines. Each voting center can have anywhere from one to twelve voting machines, occasionally up to fifteen. The staff randomly selects the tables/machines by drawing a number out of a paper hat. The size of the draw is dependent on the number of tables/machines.

The following procedures occur step by step:

Polls are closed
Tally scrutinization finishes
Random paper ballot audit announced
The machines are randomly selected drawing numbers out of a paper hat
The machine's serial number is recorded
The corresponding paper ballot box is selected and opened
The paper ballots results for each candidate are openly counted
With the original tally printed from the electronic results, both results are audited
Any anomaly (even if by one vote) is recorded in the audit report
The original audit report is signed by staff and observers, officially sealed and handed to the military for delivery to the CNE
Copies are handed over to the representatives of the two highest vote getters.

Parliamentary elections

File:LegislativoCentro.jpg

=Parliamentary voting system=

Elections for the National Assembly of Venezuela in the 2000 and the 2005 were conducted under a weak mixed member proportional system, with 60% elected in first-past-the-post voting districts and the remainder by closed party list proportional representation.CNN, [https://web.archive.org/web/20010506180750/http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/election.watch/americas/venezuela.html Venezuela (Presidential)], accessed 27 September 2010 This was an adaptation of the system previously used for the Venezuelan Chamber of Deputies,Donna Lee Van Cott (2005), From movements to parties in Latin America: the evolution of ethnic politics, Cambridge University Press. p29 which had been introduced in 1993, with a 50–50 balance between voting districts and party lists,Crisp, Brian F. and Rey, Juan Carlos (2003), "The Sources of Electoral Reform in Venezuela", in Shugart, Matthew Soberg, and Martin P. Wattenberg, Mixed-Member Electoral Systems – The Best of Both Worlds?, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. pp. 173–194(22) and deputies per state proportional to population, but with a minimum of three deputies per state.Crisp and Rey (2003:175)

For the 2010 election, the Ley Orgánica de Procesos Electorales (LOPE) (Basic Law of Electoral Process) among other changes reduced the party list proportion to 30%. In addition, the law completely separated the district vote and the party list votes, creating a parallel voting system. Previously, parties winning nominal district seats had had these subtracted from the total won under the proportional party list.{{citation needed|date=July 2023}} Under the new law, in 2009, electoral districts were redefined in a way that has been accused of favouring the PSUV, particularly in giving more weight to votes in the countryside over those in the city.{{cite web|author=Carroll, Rory |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/sep/27/hugo-chavez-congressional-election-venezuela|title=Venezuela election loosens Chávez's grip on power|date=27 September 2010|access-date=27 September 2010|work=The Guardian }}Romero, Simon. The New York Times, 26 September 2010. [https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/world/americas/27venez.html?partner=rss&emc=rss "Venezuelans Vote for Legislators".]Latin American Herald Tribune, 27 September 2010, [http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=368571&CategoryId=10718 "In Venezuela, Opposition Wins Vote Total, but Chavez Still Dominates Parliament".] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120607212718/http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=368571&CategoryId=10718 |date=2012-06-07 }}

Presidential elections

There are regular presidential elections in Venezuela. The President of Venezuela is elected for a six-year term by direct election plurality voting, and is eligible for unlimited re-election.{{citation needed|date=July 2016}} One of the first "honest" presidential elections in Venezuela was held in 1947, with Rómulo Gallegos of Democratic Action receiving 74.3% of the vote. The next elections were held in 1958 and won by Rómulo Betancourt of Democratic Action, who received 49.2% of the vote. With voter turnout reported to be 92.3%, in the 1963 presidential elections Raúl Leoni of Democratic Action won with 32.8% of the vote. In the subsequent 1968 elections, Rafael Caldera of Copei (the Social Christian Party of Venezuela) won with 29.1% of the vote,Nohlen, p580 although Democratic Action remained the largest party in the Chamber of Deputies and Senate.Nohlen, p556 The following elections the presidential seat returned to Democratic Action, with Carlos Andrés Pérez receiving 48.7% of the voteNohlen, p581 in a voter turnout of 96.5%.

The 1978 elections were won by Luis Herrera Campins of Copei with 46.6% of the vote. Jaime Lusinchi of Democratic Action won with 58.4% of the vote in 1983,Nohlen, p582 with voter turnout at 87.3%. Carlos Andrés Pérez won a second time in 1988 with 52.9% of the vote, and a voter turnout of 81.9% in the presidential election. Former president Rafael Caldera, newly associated with National Convergence, won with 30.5% of the vote in 1993. The voter turnout in 1993 was 60.2%, the lowest since World War II. After being imprisoned for an attempted coup and then pardoned by Caldera, Hugo Chávez founded the Fifth Republic Movement and was elected president of Venezuela in 1998. He was re-elected in 2000.

A recall referendum in 2004 was voted on by the populace to determine whether Chávez should be recalled from office, resulting in no recall (58% no). The authenticity of the results became a point of contention.Weisbrot M, Rosnick D, Tucker T (20 September 2004). [http://www.cepr.net/index.php/publications/reports/black-swans-conspiracy-theories-and-the-quixotic-search-for-fraud/ Black Swans, Conspiracy Theories, and the Quixotic Search for Fraud: A Look at Hausmann and Rigobón's Analysis of Venezuela's Referendum Vote] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140724001829/http://www.cepr.net/index.php/publications/reports/black-swans-conspiracy-theories-and-the-quixotic-search-for-fraud/ |date=2014-07-24 }}. CEPR: Center for Economic and Policy Research. Retrieved 7 July 2012.Maria M. Febres Cordero, Bernardo Márquez (2006), [http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1751-5823.2006.tb00301.x/abstract "A Statistical Approach to Assess Referendum Results: the Venezuelan Recall Referendum 2004"], International Statistical Review, 74(3)[http://projecteuclid.org/DPubS?service=UI&version=1.0&verb=Display&page=toc&handle=euclid.ss/1330437927 Special Section: Revisiting the 2004 Venezuelan Referendum] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120728043017/http://projecteuclid.org/DPubS?service=UI&version=1.0&verb=Display&page=toc&handle=euclid.ss%2F1330437927 |date=2012-07-28 }}, Statistical Science, 26(4), November 2011{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/americas/08/16/venezuela.recall.ap/index.html|title=Observers endorse Venezuela vote results|work=CNN |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040905004646/http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/americas/08/16/venezuela.recall.ap/index.html |archive-date=5 September 2004 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna5710814|title=Observer teams endorse Venezuela vote results|website=NBC News |date=16 August 2004|access-date=6 July 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://natcath.org/NCR_Online/archives2/2004c/090304/090304a.php|title=Venezuela: Divisions harden after Chávez victory|last=Jones|first=Bart|date=3 September 2004|work=National Catholic Reporter|access-date=14 March 2009}}

Chavez was reelected in 2006 with over 60% of the votes, and in 2009 a constitutional referendum resulted in the abolishment of term limits for the offices of President of Venezuela. Since 1999 there had been a two-term limit.

Chavez was reelected for a third term in the October 2012 presidential election.{{cite news|title=Venezuela's Chávez re-elected to extend socialist rule|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/venezuela-election-idUSL1E8L70WK20121008|publisher=Reuters|access-date=8 October 2012|date=8 October 2012|first=Andrew|last=Cawthorne}}

Nicolas Maduro won the 2013 presidential election and was reelected in 2018.

Regional and local elections

Venezuela is a federal state; Venezuelan states have governors, which have been elected since 1989 (previously they were appointed by the President). Regional and local elections were introduced following the work in the 1980s of the Commission for the Reform of the State (Comisión para la Reforma del Estado, COPRE).

Latest elections

Most recent elections:

parliamentary: 2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election
regional: 2021 Venezuelan regional elections
presidential: 2024 Venezuelan presidential election
constituent assembly: 2017 Venezuelan Constituent Assembly election

References

External links

[http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/v/venezuela/ Adam Carr's Election Archive]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20151202202155/http://stanford.edu/~dkronick/vzmap/ Interactive Map of Past Elections in Venezuela]