Venezuela: electoral simulation begins for regional and local elections in November

An electoral drill, scheduled as a rehearsal for the regional and local elections on November 21, began this Sunday in 466 centers authorized by the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Venezuela from 07:00 local time (11:00 GMT).

“Today, October 10, the CNE enabled 466 voting centers in the 24 states of the country to test the voting system for the 2021 regional and municipal elections. I invite you to participate in this mock electoral activity and become familiar with the voting system.”Declared the vice president of the CNE, Enrique Márquez.

The installed voting centers will be open until 16:00 (20:00 GMT).

The electoral body previously reported that 3,232 officials were deployed for this drill, including operators and technicians of the automated voting system and personnel from the 23 regional electoral boards and the 333 municipal electoral boards.

Likewise, the head of the Strategic Operational Command of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (Ceofanb), Domingo Hernández Lárez, reported that they will provide support to the CNE during the drill session.

“The Bolivarian National Armed Forces will provide support to the Electoral Power, safeguarding the security of voters and women voters, ensuring order, custody, transfer and safeguarding of electoral material and electoral instruments”, indicated on his Twitter account.

The president of the CNE, Pedro Calzadilla, reported on Thursday that the electoral rehearsal will have the observation of the Carter Center, which will make tours of various tables set up in Caracas, and also with the “accompaniment” of the Latin American Council of Electoral Experts (Ceela ).

Calzadilla indicated that three members of the Carter Center are in the Caribbean country to evaluate the possibility of sending an observation mission for the November elections, and that they will be able to verify the effectiveness of the system during the trial.

For her part, the leader of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), Tania Díaz, assured on Saturday that this exercise will allow the Chavista mobilization strategy to be rehearsed.

Likewise, the majority of the opposition that will participate in the next elections for the first time since 2017, urged to participate in the electoral simulation, although in a more timid way.

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