Venezuela

The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is a decentralized federal state. The government and its constituent political entities are and always will be democratic, participatory, elective, decentralized, alternative, accountable, pluralistic, and have revocable mandates (Article 6 of the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela).

The national territory is divided into states, the Capital District, federal dependencies, and federal territories. The territory is organized into municipalities, which constitute the primary political unit of the national organization of the Republic. These units enjoy legal personality and exercise their powers autonomously, in accordance with the Constitution and the law.

The National Assembly is unicameral and composed of 277 deputies elected in each federal entity by universal, direct, personalized, and secret vote with proportional representation, based on a population base of 1.1% of the country's total population.

The government and administration of the municipality is the responsibility of the mayor, who is also be the highest civil authority. The legislative function of the municipality is the responsibility of the Council, composed of councilors elected in the manner established in the Constitution, in the number and under the conditions of eligibility determined by law.

The presidential term is six years, with the possibility of reelection. Deputies to the National Assembly serve five years in office and are eligible for reelection. The mayor and council members are elected for four-year terms, with the possibility of reelection.

The offices of President of the Republic, Governor of a state, Mayor of a municipality, and other single-member offices are elected based on a relative majority of votes (Article 7 of the Organic Law on Electoral Processes). For the election of members of the National Assembly, state legislative councils, municipal councils, and other popularly elected collegiate bodies, a parallel electoral system applies, with personalized suffrage for nominal offices and proportional representation for list offices. Under no circumstances will nominal elections affect proportional list elections (Article 8 of the Organic Law on Electoral Processes).

Closed and blocked lists.

For the election of national and State offices, the electoral district may be made up of a municipality or group of municipalities, a parish or group of parishes, or a combination of both, contiguous and continuous within the same state; with the exception of indigenous constituencies, which will not have a geographic continuity limitation. Regarding elections for district or municipal offices, the electoral district is made up of a parish or group of contiguous and continuous parishes. Nominal deputies are elected in single-member or multi-member constituencies depending on the population. Mayors are elected in single-member constituencies, and councilors in multi-member constituencies.

Yes, Resolution No. 080721-658 of 2008 defines the principles of parity and alternation for regional and municipal legislative elections. Candidates for regional legislative councils, metropolitan councilors, and councilors to the Alto Apure District Council who are nominated for the elections regulated by these regulations must have an equal and alternating composition of 50% for each sex. In cases where parity is not possible, said nomination must have a minimum of 40% and a maximum of 60% for each sex (Article 16). Likewise, the Special Regulations to Guarantee the Rights of Equal Political Participation in the 2015 Elections for Deputies to the National Assembly established similar criteria of parity and alternation for candidates.

Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and Organic Municipal Law.

The National Electoral Council is the governing body of the Electoral Power, responsible for the transparency of electoral and referendum processes. It guarantees the Venezuelan people the efficient organization of all electoral events held in the country and, in particular, the clarity, fairness, and credibility of these processes and their results, in order to elevate and sustain the prestige of the electoral institution. Its functions include the organization, administration, and supervision of all acts related to electoral processes to be held at the national, regional, municipal, and parish levels, through the National Electoral Board, the Civil Registry and Electoral Commission, and the Political Participation and Financing Commission, as subordinate bodies, guaranteeing and preserving suffrage as a genuine expression of the will of the people and the creative source of public powers.