We, the
undersigned, served as international observers of the presidential election in
Venezuela on December 3, 2006. We were
invited by the National Electoral Council (CNE), an independent branch of the
Venezuelan government, which oversees and manages the electoral system.
On Election Day,
we visited approximately ten voting centers where, from the opening to the
closing of polls, we monitored all phases of the balloting process and the
initial count of the votes. At some
site visits, formally scheduled in advance, we were accompanied by CNE
officials. At other voting centers we
were unaccompanied, dropping in unannounced.
Our objective was
to evaluate whether this was a free and fair election; that is, whether the
election produced an outcome expressing the will of the Venezuelan people.
According to
published reports, about 11.5 million voters, constituting 70% of the
electorate, participated in the election.
Hugo Chavez, the incumbent president, won 61% of the vote; Manuel
Rosales garnered 38%; minor candidates split the balance.
All participants
enjoyed equal access to voting centers.
Elderly persons, disabled, and pregnant women were not required to wait
in line. The waiting time for others
varied, depending on voter turnout and time of day. Voters cast their ballots freely, in secret, and without
intimidation or manipulation.
The authorities
administering the balloting were well trained-carrying out their duties in an
impartial, efficient and courteous manner.
Representatives of the two major candidates, serving as official
witnesses, were present at each voting site and were provided full access to
observe the check-in, voting, tallying and transmission process. Partisan witnesses for both candidates
expressed unqualified approval of the management of polls.
Military personnel
maintained order by their presence, without any apparent threat or use of
force.
The automated
voting machines are user-friendly, speedy, accurate, reliable and secure. The mechanized process enables each voter to
touch-screen vote and electronically verify his/her selection. The machine then generates a paper receipt,
which the individual examines to determine whether the machine correctly
recorded the vote. In this way, the
Venezuelan voting system provides each voter both electronic and paper
confirmation.
The voter then
deposits the paper receipt in a sealed box.
Finally, before exiting, the voter dips a fingertip in ink to signify
that he/she has voted, retrieves the identification card that he/she turned in
at entry, and leaves. After the polls
have closed, in a randomly-selected audit of 54% of the voting tables within
the polling sites, the paper receipts are manually counted and their totals are
compared to the electronic results.
The
state-of-the-art tallying and transmission system functioned accurately and
efficiently.
To ensure the
integrity of the ballot, appropriate measures- identification cards, voter list
verification, finger-printing, and finger ink-dipping after voting- were taken
to prevent unregistered or multiple voting.
Each citizen’s
vote was accorded equal weight.
We observed no
evidence of fraud or other illegality.
In all respects,
the entire voting process- its institutional framework, official actions and
decisions- were open to the participants and the public.
The December 3,
2006 presidential election was free, fair, and transparent. It ensured the honest expression of the will
of the Venezuelan people- the hallmark of a representative and accountable
democracy.
Caracas, Venezuela
December 4, 2006
Emily Goodman,
Justice
New York State
Supreme Court
Henry Hamilton,
Former Magistrate
State of Iowa
James Gramling,
Judge
Milwaukee
Municipal Court
Laura Safer
Espinoza, Justice
New York State
Supreme Court
Gustin Reichbach,
Justice
New York State
Supreme Court
Charles B.
Schudson, Reserve Judge
State of Wisconsin
Analisa Torres,
Justice
New York State
Supreme Court
Frank Torres,
Retired Justice
New York State
Supreme Court
Jean Pierre Urgin,
Judge
Montpelier, France
*All judicial titles are for identification purposes, only.