VZCZCXRO7807
PP RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR
DE RUEHCV #0183 0412159
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 102159Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY CARACAS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2577
INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHWH/WESTERN HEMISPHERIC AFFAIRS DIPL POSTS PRIORITY
RUMIAAA/HQ USSOUTHCOM MIAMI FL PRIORITY
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS CARACAS 000183 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT PASS TO AID/OTI (RPORTER) 
HQSOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM VE
SUBJECT: FEBRUARY 15 TERM LIMITS REFERENDUM: BY THE NUMBERS 
 
(SBU) The following statistics provide background information 
regarding Venezuela's February 15 referendum on eliminating 
term limits for all elected positions: 
 
------------ 
ELECTION DAY 
------------ 
Polls Open: 6:00am (5:30am EST) 
Polls Close: 18:00pm (17:30pm EST) 
Polling Places: 11,297 
Electronic Voting Machines: 34,541 
Digital Fingerprint Scanning Machines: 11,422 
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 
Eligible Voters: 16,767,511 
Registered Voters Living Abroad Eligible to Vote: 57,368 
Number of Voters in Washington, DC: 1464 
Number of Voters in Miami: 15,846 
Number of Voters in Houston: 2195 
Number of Voters in New York: 2116 
Number of Voters in Havana: 1464 
Number of Voters in Puerto Rico: 874 
Current Presidential Term Limit: 2 terms 
Presidential Term: 6 years 
Current National Assembly Term Limit: 3 terms 
National Assembly Term: 5 years 
Gubernatorial Term Limit: 2 terms 
Gubernatorial Term: 4 years 
Mayoral Term Limit: 2 terms 
Mayoral Term: 4 years 
Days Before Elections in Which Polls May Not be Made Public: 7 
Hours Before Elections in Which Alcohol May Not be Sold: 40 
Members of the Armed Forces Working on Election Day: 140,000 
Estimated Voting Time Per Voter: 20 seconds 
Allowed Time Per Vote: 3 minutes 
Months Since Nationwide State and Local Elections: 3 
Months Until Nationwide Municipal Council Elections: 6 
 
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PREVIOUS ELECTIONS 
------------------ 
Pro-Government Governors Elected in 2008: 17 
Opposition Governors Elected in 2008: 5 
Percent of "No" Votes in 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 2008 State and Local Elections: 35% 
Rate of Abstention in 2007 Constitutional Reform Referendum: 
44% 
Rate of Abstention in 2006 Presidential Race: 25% 
Rate of Abstention in 2005 Parliamentary Elections (boycotted 
by Opposition): 75% 
 
------------------- 
ELECTION MONITORING 
------------------- 
Political Organizations Registered with "Yes" Campaign: 16 
Political Organizations Registered with the "No" Campaign: 34 
Voting Machines Audited In Presence of "Yes" and "No" 
Campaign witnesses: 200 
Percentage of Voting Machines Audited on Election Day: 54.3% 
CNE Invited National Election Observers: 1200 
International Election Observer Missions: 0 
Venezuelan Civil Society Groups Accredited to Observe 
Elections: 4 
Estimated Percentage of Voting Tables "No" Poll Watchers Will 
Cover: 90% 
Embassy Personnel Involved in Informal Election Observation: 
33 
 
CAULFIELD