Staffan Darnolf from the International Foundation for Electoral Systems expressed astonishment at the unique design of the Venezuelan election ballot. He noted that it appears to give President Maduro an unfair advantage, as being positioned at the top of a ballot tends to attract more attention.
The Maduro government has faced criticism for obstructing a free and fair electoral process by disqualifying candidates, detaining opposition members, and restricting the registration of millions of Venezuelan expatriates.
Eugenio Martínez, the director of Votoscopio, highlighted concerns that as the election has become less competitive, the voting process has become more convoluted. This sentiment was echoed by Carlos Medina of the Venezuelan Electoral Observatory.
Despite multiple parties nominating the same candidate being common in some countries, the situation in Venezuela has raised suspicions. Many parties on the ballot have been co-opted by the government to endorse Maduro or government-approved candidates, raising doubts about the election’s integrity.
The government’s strategy of replacing leaders of established parties with loyalists and creating new parties to maintain a semblance of democracy has drawn scrutiny. Of the 38 parties on the ballot, 14 were established in the last six years, signaling a deliberate effort to control the political landscape.
Tamara Taraciuk Broner of the Inter-American Dialogue emphasized that while Venezuela tries to uphold the appearance of democracy, the ballot layout is indicative of diminishing voter choice and manipulation of electoral processes.
