A preliminary report by Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) states that since last July a total of 1,360,598 people were added to the Electoral Registry, according to CNE Vice President Sandra Oblitas.

Oblitas said that with the most recently registered voters, the Electoral Registry will include 19 million people, “reducing the exclusion gap [of those not registered] to 3.5 percent. This is historic.”

During a press conference to present this information after a special day was held to register voters on April 15, Oblitas said that 89 percent of the new registrants were between the ages of 18 and 25.

The CNE official guaranteed that the fingerprints of the new registered voters will be recorded digitally so that they can exercise their right to vote in presidential and regional elections this year. Venezuela’s high-tech voting machines are activated through fingerprinting.

“We are going to work so that all Venezuelans can exercise their right to vote. We guarantee the strength of the electoral system,” Oblitas added.

She congratulated the citizens that signed up with the Electoral Registry or updated their contact information on April 15, saying that it was the longest day made available by the CNE over the course of the last nine months, during which 1,300 voter registration booths were open throughout the country.

“We can say preliminarily that it was been one of the most successful [days],” Oblitas said.

She did, however, note that some groups attempted to disturb the registration centers through violent acts, but that those sectors are “steadily diminishing.”

President Chávez Congratulates the CNE

On Tuesday, President Hugo Chávez congratulated the CNE on its special voter registration day via twitter.

He wrote: “I want to congratulate, as a citizen and as Venezuelan head of state, the Electoral Branch for the total success of the registration process!”

AVN / Press – Venezuelan Embassy to the U.S. / April 18, 2012