Projection screen at a National Primaries Commission press conference in a room with empty chairs. Photo: Miguel Gutiérrez/EFE/File photo.
Several complaints have been filed following the opposition-run National Primaries Commission (CNP) publishing their official database, to allow for opposition supporters to look for the “voting centers” where they will be able to vote in the upcoming opposition primaries, scheduled for October 22. Citizens have claimed that their data was usurped without their consent, while Venezuelans abroad are noting that they still do not know where to vote.
According to the CNP report, published this Sunday, September 3, the database was supposed to help Venezuelans abroad find where and which polling place they are to vote at. However, several users posted via social media that despite where they live, the database has them located in Venezuela, even in places where they never lived.
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According to one user, the database states they were “born in Tariba, Táchira state, where I have never lived, much less voted. I live in Panama since 2008. Fucking fraud,” they wrote.
Citizens wishing to vote in the opposition primaries are supposed to visit the database website and then enter their ID number and date of birth, and then the database would tell them where and which voting center they are supposed to go to.
However, as the CNP decided not to take technical assistance from the National Electoral Council (CNE), the voting centers have a peculiarity. Not only are they not based in schools, as they typically are; in fact, they are based in various people’s houses.
¿Por qué en el buscador de centros de votación de la primaria algunas personas tienen asignado como centro “la casa del Sr/de la Sra…”? Un número significativo de los 3 mil centros son las casas de activistas de diferentes partidos (para evitar los problemas de no obtener…
— Eugenio G. Martínez (@puzkas) September 3, 2023
Some users reported that their polling place for the primaries would be the house of a political activist, a situation that some claim would allow for electoral fraud.
Journalist Eugenio Martínez, a specialist in electoral events, pointed out that of the 3,000 voting centers designated for the October 22 opposition primaries, 30% are in private households, and 29% in squares and parks.
In any case, it is alarming that the CNP has the data of all Venezuelans registered in the Electoral Registry, whether they were going to participate in the opposition primaries or not.
Citizens condemned the fact the CNP usurped their personal data to use them in the primaries, despite the fact that they did not register for the consultation or might not be willing to participate in the electoral contest.
La PREGUNTA: ¿Si la Cndp rechazó la asistencia técnica del CNE, de dónde sacaron la información personal de los electores?
Muy grave.
— Michel Caballero Palma (@MichelCaballero) September 4, 2023
This data officially belongs to the CNE; however, it is questionable that the CNP utilized this data, since they decided to reject the help of the Electoral Power and have constantly questioned its validity.
Electoral experts have claimed the Venezuelan electoral registry is technically public access, but privacy concerns are very valid taking into consideration that the CNP might use the data for purposes other than electoral reasons, and that it is not yet clear if they are using the data with expressed consent from the CNE.
(RedRadioVE) by Ana Perdigón with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/AU
