Tuesday marked the start of a period of 15 days during which Venezuelans may verify their information in the electoral registry, a process through which citizens and political organizations can consult, challenge, and request inclusion into the preliminary list of registered voters.

The preliminary electoral registry for this year’s presidential elections on October 7 and local elections on December 16 was made public by Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE) on April 30. That list included a total of more than 19.1 million citizens enrolled as of April 15, after which the citizen verification process began.

According to the CNE, citizen verification consists of the revision of voter information – name, identification number, and local polling center – in the electoral registry and is part of the rights established in the Organic Law on Electoral Processes.

Those citizens who participated in the extraordinary voter registration sessions in July 2011 and April 2012 must revise their information to verify that it matches with the registry receipt they received.

Newly registered voters, especially those who have not yet turned 18, must also revise their information.

Voters can verify their data through the CNE web site (www.cne.gob.ve) or in Venezuela by calling to 0-800-VOTEMOS (868.36.76) or sending a text message with their ID number to CNE-R (2637).

In case of any inconsistency in the data, or if the system shows that the voter is not registered, he or she may present a claim during the period of 15 continuous days, including weekends.

According to the schedule of the presidential and local elections, the verification process ends May 15.

AVN / Press Office – Venezuelan Embassy to the U.S. / May 2, 2012