2021 Venezuelan regional elections

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Regional and municipal elections were held in Venezuela on 21 November 2021.^[1] In the elections, all executive and legislative positions of the 23 federal entities, as well as that of the 335 municipalities of the country, were renewed.

The pro-government majority National Assembly repealed the Law of Regularization of State and Municipal Powers which prevented regional and municipal elections taking place simultaneously, allowing to convene joint elections of governors and mayors the same year. Afterwards, new rectors of the National Electoral Council (CNE) were appointed, the majority of members being pro-government.^[2]

The census issued by the National Institute of Statistics and approved by the National Assembly, which influences the redesign of electoral districts, did not take into account the movements of millions of migrants leaving the country in recent years.^[3] The CNE ratified that the indigenous vote for the elections would be of second degree, meaning that, as in the 2020 parliamentary elections, the members of the indigenous communities will not be able to directly elect the candidate of their choice, but must choose a delegate through "popular assemblies", which would be the ones to cast the vote.^[4]

On 8 August, the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) held primary elections to choose its candidates for the elections, during whose campaign important divisions and internal differences were evident in the ruling party, and politicians such as Elías Jaua and Francisco Arias Cárdenas were excluded from the process. During the primaries, irregularities and acts of violence took place in states such as Barinas and Zulia.^[5][6][7] The PSUV vicepresident, Diosdado Cabello, declared that the fact that a candidate won the party's primaries did not mean that they would be the candidate for the elections.^[8]

Despite initially opposing participation, on 31 August the opposition, under the Unitary Platform coalition, announced its intention to run in the elections and nominated candidates under the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) card, after three years without having done so, although considering that the elections "they will not be fair or conventional".^[9][10]

On election day, violence was reported in the Zulia state, including a polling center where colectivos fired upon. In total two people were killed and others were injured.^[11] The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed its concern about the reports.^[12] The results announced that the ruling PSUV won governorships in at least 18 of the 23 states. The announced turnout was 42.2%.^[13]

After politician Adolfo Superlano filed an appeal before the Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ), the high court suspended the totalization of votes and the proclamation of the governor in the state of Barinas, when the CNE projections favored opposition candidate Freddy Superlano.^[14][15] The TSJ disqualified Superlano and ordered the elections to be repeated.^[16] A rerun was held in Barinas on 9 January which resulted as a win for the opposition candidate, Sergio Garrido, with 55.4% of the votes, while PSUV candidate Jorge Arreaza received 41.3%.^[17] The victory of the opposition brought an end to 22 years of PSUV rule and was considered as a symbolic victory.^[18]

The European Union Observation Mission concluded that the elections were marked by lack of judicial independence and rule of law, arbitrary electoral disqualifications and the use of state resources for campaigning, despite having a more balanced electoral arbiter and improvements compared to previous elections.^[19] The Carter Center, which also observed the elections, concluded that the elections did not meet electoral international standards.^[20]