Venezuela's CNE: We Are Ready for May 25 Elections

The vice president of Venezuela’s National Electoral Council (CNE), Carlos Quintero, declared on Sunday, May 11, that the council is fully prepared for the upcoming elections on May 25. His remarks followed what he labeled as the successful completion of a nationwide voting drill held on Saturday.

“With this assessment, the CNE assures the country that we are ready for the electoral celebration on May 25,” Quintero stated. He confirmed that all electoral infrastructure was operational nationwide, starting at 7:00 a.m. Over 11,000 voting machine operators and technicians evaluated polling stations and addressed technical issues in real time through the CNE’s National Support Center.

“We have worked tirelessly to secure transmission processes, with highly satisfactory results. We thank the Venezuelan people for their broad participation,” Quintero added.

During a review of Saturday’s voting drill, Quintero highlighted improvements in efficiency compared to prior elections. Polling stations opened at 8:30 a.m., achieving 100% operational readiness—a 15-minute improvement over 2024’s 8:45 a.m. benchmark.

He also emphasized the effectiveness of the National Support Center’s 350 operators and rapid response teams across Venezuela’s 24 states. These teams ensured swift resolution of technical issues, including replacement of malfunctioning voting machines.

“These positive results confirm that our technical and logistical systems are fully prepared for May 25,” Quintero said in reference to the upcoming elections for parliamentary seats, governors, and regional deputies.

A separate drill tested regional electoral boards’ readiness to allocate and announce results for governors, legislative councils, and national assembly deputies. The exercise, which began at 3:00 p.m., saw preliminary results processed by 3:33 p.m., demonstrating the boards’ familiarity with legal documentation and vote tabulation systems.