VZCZCXRO3765
PP RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHCV #1595 3231509
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 181509Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY CARACAS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2156
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS PRIORITY

UNCLAS CARACAS 001595 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
HQ SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
DEPT PASS TO AID/OTI (RPORTER) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KDEM PGOV VE
SUBJECT: NOVEMBER 23 STATE AND LOCAL ELECTIONS: BY THE 
NUMBERS 
 
(SBU) The following statistics provide background information 
regarding Venezuela's November 23 state and local elections: 
 
 
------------ 
ELECTION DAY 
------------ 
Polls Open: 7:00am 
Polls Close: 4:30pm 
Polling Places: 11,297 
Electronic Voting Machines: 34,662 
Digital Fingerprint Scanning Machines: 11,624 
States that will Deploy Digital Fingerprint Scanning 
Machines: 8 
Polling Places that will be Equipped with Digital Fingerprint 
Scanning Machines: 3,658 
Poll Workers Required on Election Day: 101,397 
Registered Voters: 16,945,061 
Registered Voters Living Abroad, Ineligible to Vote in State 
and Local Elections: 57,256 
Eligible Voters: 16,887,805 
New Registrations Since 2007 Constitutional Reform 
Referendum: 738,021 
Percent of New Registrations Ages 18-22: 77% 
Gubernatorial Races: 22 
Mayoral Races: 328 
State Legislature Seats to be Filled: 233 
Caracas Municipal Council Member Races: 13 
Alto Apure Municipal Council Member Races: 7 
Total Positions to be Filled: 603 
Candidates Officially Running for Office: 8,294 
PSUV Governors: 19 
Podemos Governors (formerly pro-government): 2 
Opposition Governors: 2 
PSUV Governors Running for Re-Election: 4 
Podemos Governors Running for Re-Election: 0 
Opposition Governors Running for Re-Election: 1 
Percent of Population with PSUV Governors: 76% 
Percent of Population with Podemos Governors: 10% 
Percent of Population with Opposition Governors: 15% 
Days Before Elections in Which Polls May Not be Made Public: 7 
Hours Before Elections in Which Alcohol May Not be Sold: 48 
 
------------ 
VOTER TRENDS 
------------ 
Percent of "No" Votes for 2007 Constitutional Reform 
Referendum: 51% 
Percent of Votes Chavez Won in 2006 Presidential Race: 62% 
Percent of Votes Chavez Won in 2004 Recall Referendum: 59% 
Rate of Abstention in 2007 Constitutionl Reform Referendum: 
44% 
Rate of Abstention in 2006 Presidential Race: 25% 
Rate of Abstention in 2005 Parlimentary Elections (boycotted 
by Opposition): 75% 
Rate of Abstention in 2004 State and Local Elections: 55% 
Rate of Abstention in 2004 Recall Referendum: 30% 
Rate of Abstention in 1999 Constitutional Referendum: 55% 
National Elections Chavismo Has Won: 11 
National Elections Chavez Has Lost: 1 
Percent of Population that Self-Identifies as Opposition: 19% 
(according to September Datanalisis poll) 
Percent of Population that Self-Identifies as Independent, Ni 
Ni: 43% (according to September Datanalisis poll) 
Percent of Population that Self-Identifies as Pro-Government: 
30% (according to September Datanalisis poll) 
 
------------------- 
ELECTION MONITORING 
------------------- 
Political Party Witnesses Needed to Adequately Safeguard 
Voting Process: 119,697 
CNE Invited National Election Observers: 2,060 
CNE Invited International Election Observers: 130 
International Observation Missions that will Issue Formal 
Reports: 0 
Venezuelan Civil Society Groups Accredited to Observe 
Elections: 4 
Embassy Personnel Involved in Informal Election Observation: 
40 
Independent Audits of Voter Rolls: 0 
 
CAULFIELD