Venezuela’s Electoral Commission Ramps up Security Measures

With just over 10 weeks before the realization of the country’s presidential elections, Venezuela’s National Electoral Commission (CNE) is tightening its preparations for October 7 through heightened security measures and high-tech anti-fraud initiatives.

On Sunday, the CNE closed enrollment for the initiative known as “Make Your Mark” which obliges enlisted voters to register their thumbprint with the electoral authority in order to ensure the integrity and veracity of the electronic ballots cast at polling stations around the country.

The measure began on June 22 and has successfully updated the prints of more than 3 million people through the deployment of over 3,000 registration machines made available to residents in 1,600 enrollment points throughout the country.

The month long campaign was intended to rectify more than 1.8 million faulty prints that had been made available to the CNE through the government’s Identification and Immigration Administration(SAIME).

CNE President, Tibisay Lucena, has informed that while the “Make Your Mark” initiative is meant to avoid voting fraud, citizens will not be prevented from exercising their suffrage rights in the case of not having previously registered their print with the agency.

Venezuela’s polling system is comprised of highly advanced digital voting machines which leave constituents with a paper receipt and has been praised by international organizations for its transparency and integrity.

Both CNE officials and figures from the political opposition in Venezuela have both certified the transparency of the country’s voting system.

“There is no doubt about it, (the vote) is secret and we are making sure that it always will be,” said the coordinator of the opposition’s technical team, Mario Torre, last Sunday.