Independent Election Experts Confirm Opposition's Tally Sheets Indicating Maduro's Defeat in Venezuela

An independent group of election experts has validated the opposition's claims regarding Venezuela's July presidential election. The Carter Center, based in the US, confirmed that the electronic voting system functioned correctly. This was shared with the Organization of American States (OAS) during a session addressing the election dispute. The ruling party and other stakeholders are aware of the true results.

The Carter Center was one of two independent panels invited by the Venezuelan government to observe the July 28 vote. Electoral authorities had declared President Nicolas Maduro as the winner without providing evidence. The controversy revolves around tally sheets, known as actas, which are considered definitive proof of election outcomes in Venezuela.

Opposition's Evidence and Government's Response

Each of the 30,000 electronic voting machines used in the election produced several copies of these tally sheets. Representatives from participating parties could obtain these when data was sent to the National Electoral Council. Despite declaring Maduro victorious shortly after polls closed, authorities did not release detailed results by voting machine, citing a website hack as the reason.

The main opposition coalition managed to secure tally sheets from over 80% of voting machines and published them online. In response, the government claimed these records were false and launched an investigation against opposition members, including their candidate Edmundo Gonzalez.

Verification and International Involvement

The electronic voting system includes a paper trail that verifies what is reported electronically. This information was collected by numerous poll watchers from both opposition and government parties. Jennie Lincoln, leading the Carter Center's mission to Venezuela, presented these tally sheets to diplomats but refrained from declaring Gonzalez as the winner.

Lincoln emphasized that observers do not declare election winners; this is the responsibility of electoral authorities. She mentioned that the Carter Center recently received these tally sheets via international mail but did not disclose who sent them. The organization has not responded to requests for more details on these records.

Calls for Transparency

The Organization of American States and several governments have urged Venezuela's electoral authorities to release detailed voting data. The session discussing this issue was convened at the request of countries including Argentina, Costa Rica, Panama, the US, Guatemala, Guyana, Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Ecuador.

The situation highlights ongoing concerns about transparency and accountability in Venezuela's electoral process. As international pressure mounts, there is a call for clarity on how votes were counted and reported during this contentious election.