At stake in this Referendum:

• National referendum on a constitutional amendment that would eliminate term limits from all popularly elected offices.

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias *
• Head of Government: President Hugo CHAVEZ Frias
• Assembly: Venezuela has a unicameral National Assembly (Asamblea Nacional) with 167 seats. ***

* The president is both the chief of state and head of government. The president is elected by popular vote to serve a 6-year term which is renewable once.

*** 65 members are elected through a party-list proportional representation system and 99 by plurality vote in single- and multi-member constituencies (68 in single-member and 31 in multi-member constituencies). Three seats are reserved for the indigenous peoples of Venezuela. All members serve 5-year terms.

Main provisions in the Referendum:

• Ratification of constitutional amendment to eliminate term limits from all popularly elected offices, including the Presidency Voters will be asked to vote yes or no to the following question: "Do you approve of the amendment of articles 160, 162, 174, 192, and 230 of the Constitution of the Republic, as approved by the National Assembly, which expands the people's political rights in order to permt that any citizen in exercise of a popularly elected office may run as a candidate for the same office for the constitutionally estabilshed term, as long as his or her possible election depends exclusively on the popular vote?"
  "¿Aprueba usted de la anmienda de los artículos 160, 162, 174, 192 y 230 de la Constitución de la República, tramitada por la Asamblea Nacional, que amplia los derechos políticos del pueblo, con el fin de permitir que cualquier ciudadano o ciudadana en ejercicio de un cargo de elección popular, pueda ser sujeto de postulación como candidato o candidata para el mismo cargo, por el tiempo establecido constitucionalmente, dependiendo su posible elección, exclusivamente, del voto popular?"

Electoral Requirements

• An absolute majority of voters must vote in favor of the amendment in order for it to be ratified.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 28,558,607 (2009)
• Registered Voters: 16,652,179 (February 2009 )

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 14,295,161 (2009)

·         Is Venezuela a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (17 July 1980)

·         Has Venezuela ratified CEDAW: Yes (2 May 1983)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: N/A

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 29 (following the 2005 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 71 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Very Low (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Venezuela a signatory to CRPD: No

·         Has Venezuela ratified CRPD: Yes, accession (24 September 2013)

·         Population with a disability: 4,283,791 (est.)