Venezuelan Electoral Authorities Run Election Exercise as Regional, Legislative Campaigns Enter Home Stretch

Caracas, May 12, 2025 (venezuelanalysis.com) – Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) held an election readiness exercise on Saturday ahead of the May 25 regional and legislative elections.

Authorities organized a simulation of the upcoming vote in 1,187 polling stations around the country. The process allowed voters to familiarize themselves with the voting process and the electoral ballot.

CNE Vice President Carlos Quintero stated that the “dry run,” held from 7 am to 8 pm, showcased the body’s readiness for the elections in two weeks’ time. 

“This was a very important exercise for us, a simulation where we evaluate all the protocols in real time,” he told reporters. “We only had reports of technical problems in less than 2 percent of voting machines.”

Quintero hailed the efficiency of Venezuela’s voting process and went on to thank the 11,000 CNE workers deployed on the day. The official likewise reiterated the call for voters to participate in the elections amidst calls for abstention from some segments of the political opposition.

On May 25, more than 21 million Venezuelans will be eligible to participate in contests to choose a new 285-member National Assembly (AN) for a five-year period, as well as 24 governors and regional legislative councils for four-year terms.

A total of 36 parties will appear on the ballot, with 13 of them belonging to the Great Patriotic Pole (GPP) that groups the United Socialist Party (PSUV) and allied organizations. The remaining spots are split among opposition forces, some of them grouped in coalitions.

Socialist Party eyes renewed majorities

PSUV candidate and current National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez hailed citizen participation in Saturday’s exercise and argued that it reinforces confidence in the electoral system. This is the first nationwide voting exercise since the 2024 presidential election that saw Maduro declared the winner amidst fraud allegations by the US-backed opposition.

Rodríguez, who heads the party’s national list and also serves as campaign chief, urged candidates to ditch large-scale, staged rallies in favor of more direct contact with voters and door-to-door canvassing. The high-ranking Chavista has himself accompanied rallies and mobilizations all around the country.  

The official has urged voters to support the pro-government alliance as a way of rejecting US sanctions and far-right “extremism.” He additionally pledged that the ruling coalition would prioritize citizens’ input in defining public policies.

Washington’s crackdown against Venezuelan migrants has also been a central subject, with pro-government groups vowing to fight for the return of 252 nationals currently held in El Salvador, as well as two-year-old Maikelys Espinoza. The toddler was taken from her parents, who were later deported, and remains on US soil.

The Socialist Party currently holds 19 of 23 governor posts and a 90 percent majority in the legislative chamber following a landslide victory for its coalition in 2020.

Opposition forces face abstention fears

Anti-government parties have likewise hit the campaign trail but face internal divisions, with far-right factions led by María Corina Machado calling for a boycott of the vote. The US-backed forces have maintained their claim that opposition candidate Edmundo González was the victor of the July 28, 2024 presidential election.

However, other opposition groups have defied Machado’s call and fielded candidates for legislative and regional posts.

Former two-time presidential candidate Henrique Capriles is running for deputy and headlines the list submitted by A New Era (UNT). The opposition politician’s 15-year ban on running for office was seemingly lifted, though authorities have not released any explanation for his eligibility on the ballot.

In a recent press conference, Capriles argued that the vote is a weapon to “punish the [Nicolás Maduro] government” and that Venezuelans should not forgo their constitutional rights. He went on to claim that “there is no real opposition” in the National Assembly and that abstention will only benefit pro-government parties.

A low turnout in the 2020 legislative elections saw the PSUV and allies secure 256 out of 277 parliamentary posts.

The Venezuelan opposition also faces the prospect of splitting the anti-government vote, with the 7-party “Democratic Alliance” fielding candidate lists to rival UNT and other forces.

One of the Democratic Alliance’s most prominent figures is Luis Eduardo Martínez. The experienced politician who ran in the 2024 presidential race, has reportedly secured support from dozens of local organizations in his bid to win the governorship of Aragua state. On Friday, he presented a plan for the state centered on special economic zones to boost trade, tourism, technology and primary production.

Several analysts have forecast a low voter turnout for the May 25 vote, which is expected to favor the pro-government coalition. 

Edited by José Luis Granados Ceja from Mexico City, Mexico.