The Electoral Branch of Government
The Venezuelan Experience
Dr. Tibisay Lucena
President of the National Electoral Council
Abstract: Thirteen years after the approval of the Constitution of the Bolivarian
Republic of Venezuela in 1999, the Electoral Branch, as one of the autonomous
branches of government of the National Public Power, enshrined in the new
institutionalism of the Venezuelan State, sets out the reasons it has gained respect and
recognition in electoral matters across the hemisphere. This paper briefly describes the
intense experience attained by the National Electoral Council over the years and reports
on the conditions and demands involved in putting in place the notion of participatory
and protagonistic democracy, as well as the impact of the electoral system on national
life and the construction of a culture of political participation. It also describes the core
elements of the organization of electoral events in highly politicized environments.
Democracy as an Instrument of Transformation
Democracy in Venezuela goes beyond being just a form of government. It has become
a day-to-day form of resolving conflicts and an effective way to express political and
ideological viewpoints. Venezuelan citizens now have higher rates of political
participation and an increased awareness of the exercise of their rights and sovereignty.
Increased electoral participation demonstrates the continuous defeat of abstention, an
instrument of transformation and political struggle that breaks the violent schemes
under which differences were once settled and dictatorships took over our countries.
Today in Venezuela, voting has become more valuable than ever before in the life of
our Republic. The classical concepts of democracy, such as the right to vote and be
elected for public office, are real, constant, and guaranteed according to law, but more
importantly, they are also guaranteed by multiple electoral mechanisms through direct
participation, such as recall, consultative and approbatory referenda. We have been
able to define our political geography, control the management of our government at all
levels through electoral participation, and make transformative decisions about the
national realm, including the reform and amendment of our Constitution.
Venezuela's democratic model requires participation, but its robustness and strength is
grounded in political awareness. The Electoral Branch of government has put significant
effort into strengthening democracy and guaranteeing participation both in the
organization and direction of electoral and plebiscitarian processes, and in the
integration and deployment of technological breakthroughs, knowledge, science and
expertise at the service of the people's sovereignty with a view toward strengthening
sovereignty as the source of institutional legitimacy and democratic transformation.
The new meaning of Venezuelan democracy favors participation and permanent
consultation among all citizens. Within this participatory view of democracy, the
Electoral Branch actively serves and participates in the construction of a new political
culture in defense of sovereignty, the inclusion of the majority and full respect for the
rights of each and every citizen.
Inclusion and Participation
It is Venezuelan citizens themselves that are making possible the construction,
development and consolidation of our country. They are the basis of a new vision and a
new practice of democracy. Our Constitution, approved in a popular referendum,
constitutes a national consensus about the form in which we have decided to coexist
and build our vision of democracy. The strength of this premise lies in the certainty that
each and every person can take part in the public domain, be its protagonists, and
assume direct responsibility for the permanent construction of our daily political life.
Decreased rates of voter abstention, which arose with the decline of the former political
system, has been a major milestone in Venezuelan democracy. Greater electoral
participation since 1998 demonstrates the intensity of the political debate that exists
today in the national realm. The expression of various positions through votes is
indisputable proof of the participatory vocation of our citizens. It is worth mentioning that
our numerous electoral events have gone beyond the traditional election of
representatives, becoming as well as a means to listen to citizens’ opinions on matters
of national importance.
In increased political participation we see reflected, of course, the will of voters to
exercise their rights, but it also encompasses the availability of institutional guarantees
and actions to ensure that those who wish to vote can do so effectively. The logistical
architecture of the vote is a response to the question: How many people are served by
the electoral system? The answer involves decisions about how to organize the
electoral roll, the infrastructure of the polling centers, the civil registry and other related
factors that, depending on the position adopted by the institution, could potentially
become factors of discrimination or political exclusion. To confront such occurrences,
the National Electoral Council has vowed to include the majority that was discriminated
against in the past.
These policies of participation are associated with efforts to include those people whose
ability to play leadership roles in politics was previously hampered by social inequality.
Results speak for themselves.
After updating the electoral registry, the gap between those Venezuelans that are of
legal voting age but unregistered versus those that are currently registered – we call this
the “electoral gap” – has lessened dramatically. The efforts of the Electoral Branch of
government since 2004 have allowed for a reduction in the percentage of unregistered
voters to just 3.5%, compared to 20% in the past.
The Electoral Gap Over Time
The same happened with polling centers. For decades, overcrowding and long
distances between polling centers conspired against public participation. Often, the
electoral infrastructure was only made available in easy-to-access, low-cost urban
centers. This policy discriminated against all those who lived in rural and suburban
areas. In 2004, the National Electoral Council designed a policy to assess needs and
create new polling centers and stations. This brought a substantial growth in the number
of polling centers, which went from 8,278 in 2000 to 14,055 in 2012, while the number of
polling stations (or voting booths) increased from 7,000 to 38,266. The National
Electoral Council brought the right to vote closer to those citizens who had previously
been excluded.
Voting Centers
Voting Booths
Meanwhile, a policy to reduce overcrowding at polling centers and stations was
implemented, establishing a maximum of 600 voters per station in order to make voting
easier and encourage citizen participation.
Electoral Processes Over Time
REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY
In 40 years 15 elections were held
PARTICIPATORY DEMOCRACY
In 11 years 14 elections and
Referendum were held
Voter Participation Rates
Technology and Safety
One of the most important achievements of the National Electoral Council is its use of
technological tools to improve the electoral system. The incorporation of technology has
been and continues to be a factor that helps guarantee the right to vote. The physical
existence of the ballot, the way in which the machines operate, the paper trail and the
ballot box, as well as the whole functioning of the polling station, express the integrated
nature of a model that is impossible to conceive without recognizing its political past.
With regard to safety mechanisms, we have defeated the culture of fraud that
characterized our previous system. By integrating new technologies into the process,
we have generated multiple verifiable guarantees allowing political parties and citizens
to participate and trust the results of the electoral events. This is yet another of the
system’s great strengths, as it is supported by audits and safety and control
mechanisms that are permanently evaluated before, during and after each electoral
event. The most important technical and political endorsement is having audits made
alongside the representatives and technicians appointed by the political parties. Each of
the phases and stages of the process is audited in order to evaluate and check for the
proper functioning of the system. The acts signed by the political parties are kept as
auditing records.
The construction of the technological voting platform is derived from the mandate of the
Constitution and Venezuelan law, which establish the political will to set up a model that
guarantees safety and transparency in electoral processes. This ultimately improves
citizen participation and trust. These tasks are performed following an open path paved
by our own hand and efforts. Even though new technologies coexist with the old
electoral tradition, undoubtedly, our endeavor to incorporate technological strength,
science and knowledge in favor of political guarantees and the rights of citizens is
irreversible.
The most conclusive evidence of the importance of the automation of our electoral
system is the fact that all parties have accepted and respected the results and decisions
of the National Electoral Council, even when the results have been very close, as in the
2007 referendum on constitutional reform or the 2010 parliamentary elections. Facts like
these have led us to reduce the number of complaints to almost zero.
The most convincing proof of our success is the auditable levels of control and selfmanagement in technical processes that guarantee the safety and transparency of our
electoral processes. We have overcome those shameful years of exclusion and old
practices that denied rights to citizens for the benefit of particular interests and made
electoral events prone to corruption, profit and fraud.
Today we have new and even greater challenges. We hope for more and better
democracy; we strive for citizens to be fully knowledgeable of how the stations operate,
the electoral act is now a day-to-day fact that supports the integrating nature of the
Venezuelan electoral model and its civil and political relevance.
Democratic Dialogue
The constant presence of political parties of all ideological persuasions as active
participants in electoral events is a principle of the National Electoral Council and a key
element in consolidating the new methodology designed to change the model, and
particularly, to efficiently manage the natural tensions of the process. We are committed
to automated voting, we listen to those who criticize us based on their own interests, but
we enjoy the political and ethical recognition of the Venezuelan people and of electoral
authorities worldwide. The most convincing evidence of all of this is our role in helping
various unions and professional organizations to conduct their internal electoral
processes.
The guarantees provided in each election are a result of a permanent dialogue with
political parties. The system is continuously nourished by critiques, requests and
suggestions. This is a permanent and honest relationship that acknowledges, amid
political debate, the guarantees required for the stakeholders and the legitimate
authority of the Electoral Branch of government.
International Cooperation and Exchange
Participatory democracy is a phenomenon that has emerged in most countries in the
region, and has become a fresh breeze of renovation and change. The role of electoral
institutions is even more important here, and knowing this we believe that even though it
is impossible to transfer models or recipes, we share common challenges and solutions.
Cooperation in electoral matters has become a responsibility. In this sense, the National
Electoral Council has favored mechanisms and programs that enable peer-to-peer
relationships, without any asymmetries or political subordination among the institutions.
We move forward in building solid links with the electoral authorities of the region, and
the multiple activities of international electoral accompaniment are a living example of
how working together is the only way to walk on firm ground.
The National Electoral Council of Venezuela has promoted throughout the continent a
growing rapprochement and exchange of experiences between different electoral
bodies and authorities. We are moving toward the construction of new mechanisms for
sharing experiences. In Caracas, we have held many meetings with hemispheric
electoral authorities to debate the different views and proposals of each country. We
have set up several meetings with experts and specialists to seek new insights into
participatory democracy. The result of this process is contained in the “Reference
Framework of Common Criteria and Optimal Procedures Implemented by the Electoral
Bodies and Authorities to Guarantee the Management and Control of Electoral
Processes.”
The National Electoral Council, like its counterparts in other countries in the region, is
open to international accompaniment in our electoral processes. We are willing to share
our experiences and learn about those of others. We respect the principles of
sovereignty, non-interference, self-determination and respect for the rights of each
country, and we demand the same treatment for our people.
The best way to make progress in new endeavors for the benefit of electoral processes
and citizen participation is recognizing that each country has a set of diverse rules,
customs and cultures. Recognizing this diversity is essential for finding instruments that
contribute to enhancing electoral processes and systems. There are old schemes and
views yet to be overcome, but all of this must be done with respect for each country and
its people.
We are deeply convinced that the time to assert our history as a republic and an
institution has arrived. With our sights firmly set on strengthening political rights and
inclusion for all, our countries have made real contributions to democracy throughout
the world. Today, Latin America is helping to build a bright future for democracy and
humankind.