2024: The Electoral Council Declared that Nicolas Maduro was Elected  President

The Opposition Claimed that Edmundo Gonzalez Had Won

The National Electoral Council (CNE) held the Presidential Election on July 28, 2024. There were 15,797 polling stations with 30,026 voting machines. The official vote was made electronically at the voting machine which printed a verification paper ballot that the voter deposited in a ballot box. Each voting station had two official observers: one from the Government and one from the opposition.

After the voting stations closed, vote totals by candidate for each voting machine were tabulated. A tally sheet for each voting machine was printed. The observers signed the voting machines’ tally sheets and were given a copy. 54% of the ballot boxes were opened and the paper ballot tallies verified the electronic tallies for each machine. The voting machine tallies were sent electronically to the Electoral Council. National totals were computed.

Ten candidates appeared on the ballot endorsed by 38 political parties. Voter turnout was 59%. At midnight, the CNE announced that Nicolas Maduro was re-elected as President with 52% of the vote with Edmundo Gonzalez receiving 43% and the other 8 candidates receiving 5%.In past elections, the Electoral Council printed and released the voting machine tally sheets publicly. On election night, the Electoral Council claimed that the computer system had been hacked preventing them from recreating and printing the voting machine tallies.[1]

On July 29, Gonzalez-supporter Maria Machado claimed that volunteers had collected 80% of the voting machine tally sheets (23,720) from the opposition observers. She claimed that the sheets had been scanned and totaled and that the results showed that Gonzalez had won with 70% of the vote.[2] Machado claimed that the Electoral Council had committed fraud. The sheets were posted online. Jorge Rodriguez, Maduro’s Campaign Director, claimed that 85% of the tally sheets were fake (missing signatures, evidence of editing, evidence of forgery).[3]

Maduro petitioned the Supreme Court to review the election results, saying: “We are ready to present 100% of the electoral tallies that we have in our possession.” [4] The Supreme Court agreed to take the case and summoned all the candidates to appear at a Hearing. Maduro and eight of the nine opposition candidates testified before the Supreme Court. None of the eight opposition candidates claimed that fraud had occurred.[5] Edmundo Gonzalez did not appear at the Supreme Court Hearing. He did not send any documents.  With no evidence of fraud presented at the Hearing, the Supreme Court certified Maduro as the winner.[6]A September 2024 poll by Hinterlaces showed that 60% of the interviewees rejected claims of fraud in the Presidential election while 33% believed fraud occurred. The remaining 7% were uncertain or did not answer.[7]


     

1.      Venezuelanalysis, Cybersecurity Expert on Fraud Claims and Voting Safeguards in Venezuela’sPresidential Election, 8/5/2024.

2.      Associated Press, Venezuela’s opposition Secured over 80% of crucial vote tally sheets. Here’s how they did it, August 2, 2024

3.      Orinoco Tribune, Jorge Rodriguez Presents Evidence Refuting Opposition Claims About Voting Records, August 3, 2024

4.      Venezuelanalysis, Venezuela’s Maduro Requests Supreme Court Review of Electoral Results, July 31, 2024.

5.      Alba Ciudad, All Candidates appeared before the Electoral Chamber of the TSJ except Edmundo Gonzalez, August 2, 2024

6.      Venezuelanalysis, Supreme Court Delivers Electoral Review Verdict, Confirms Maduro Verdict, August 22, 2024

7.      Orinoco Tribune, 72% of Venezuelans Ready to move past Elections and focus on progress while 33% still believe fraud claims, September 25, 2024

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