NOVEMBER 23 STATE AND LOCAL ELECTIONS: BY THE

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