IRALIS FRAGIEL
ELUNIVERSAL.COM

The ballot paper to be used in the forthcoming primary elections has a circular design and voters may choose one out of the nine candidates standing for election listed in the ballot

NGO Súmate director Alejandro Plaz made a detailed explanation of the primary election process from which a single national leader from the opposition will emerge, ahead of the presidential poll to be held on December 3.

Q When will the primary elections be held?

A. On Sunday, August 13.

Q. Who are the nominees?

A. Cecilia Sosa, Froilán Barrios, Julio Borges, Vicente Brito, Sergio Omar Calderón, Pablo Medina, William Ojeda, Manuel Rosales, Enrique Tejera París.
 
Q. How will the voting process be?

A. Firstly, the voter checks his name out in the polling station registry. He then signs the voting notebook and proceeds to select the candidate of his choice in the ballot paper. Immediately, he folds the ballot and cast it in a transparent ballot box as a guarantee of the secrecy of vote. Once the voting hour is over, the ballot results are compared to the voting notebooks before witnesses from each political party. The notebooks are finally burned to prevent the voter's identity from being violated.

Q. How many polling stations have been fitted out?

There are exactly 2,967 polling stations and 8,643 voting tables. Every polling place will have three tables, one of which has been set aside for first-time voters and people who have been registered with the Electoral Registry after 2003. However, these polling stations will not be the same used by the National Electoral Council (CNE) for its elections. They may be located at surrounding areas, such as parks and squares.

Q. How many people volunteered for this electoral process?

A. More than 50,000 people, namely 16 volunteers for each polling station.
 
Q. How much will this election cost and where does the money come from?

A. This ballot will have an estimated cost of USD 612,397. From July 2002 to this date our NGO has received lots of donations and contributions from hundred Venezuelans nationwide. These funds do not come from foreign associations. They are local funds given in donation by Venezuelan businessmen and particulars.

Q. Would an after-election audit be conducted should any candidate challenges the results?

The ballot boxes to be used are quite transparent, so it is the safest audit in itself. Following the voting process, the ballots are to be manually counted and will be kept for a month-time should any contingency arises.

Q. Which Electoral Registry will be used for this primary election?

A. We will use the Electoral Registry up to August 2003. First-time voters who have enrolled from that year through 2006 and who are not over 25 years old by December 31 will be added to this voting registry. A voting table with a notebook will be available in each parish for people who have registered with the Electoral Registry from August 2003 to April 2006 but fail to meet this age requirement. They will be able to cast their ballot provided that they meet all legal requirements. Venezuelans who have included their names in the Electoral Registry up to 2003 in the Venezuelan embassies and consulates abroad are also expected to exercise their right to vote.

Q. When would the first preliminary results be disclosed?

Hopefully we will be disclosing the first results the same day of the election in the evening. Once all polling stations have closed and at least 60% of the ballot papers have been counted, the first unofficial bulletin would be broadcast. If nobody challenges the election or if no challenge should affect the results, the official bulletin would be disclosed in no more than 24 hours.

Translated by Servio Viloria