General Right to Vote
Constitution
(1999, as amended 2006)

• Article 62 states, “All citizens have the right to participate freely in public affairs, either directly or through their elected representatives.”
• Article 63 states, “Suffrage is a right. It shall be exercised through free, universal, direct and secret elections. The law shall guarantee the principle of personalization of suffrage and proportional representation.”
• Article 64 states, “All Venezuelans who have reached the age of 18 and are not subject to political disablement or civil interdiction are qualified to vote.”

Specific Inclusion of People with Disabilities
Constitution
(1999, as amended 2006)

• Article 81 states: "Every disabled person or a person with special needs has a right to full and free life regardless of his/her disability.... The State, with the family and community participation, guarantees and promotes respect, equal opportunities, satisfactory work conditions and employment in accordance with one's abilities, for the disabled. It recognizes the right of the deaf and the mute to use sign language as means of expression and communication."

Electoral Law
Organice Law on the Electoral Process

• The preamble states, “To conclude, this Act is characterized as follows...4) facilitates and promotes the participation of people with disabilities in the acts of election.”
• Article 155 states, “The National Electoral Council and its subordinate bodies ensure that disabled voters have the full exercise of political rights, without discrimination, in accordance with the established Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the law.”

Exclusion Based on Intellectual Disability
Electoral Law
Organic Law on Electoral Processes
(2009)

• Article 20 states, “All Venezuelans over the age of eighteen (18), not subject to final judgement of civil interdiction....may enroll in the Permanent Electoral Registry.”

Voter Assistance by Other Citizens
Electoral Law
Organic Law on the Electoral Processes
(2009)

• Article 98 states, “Excluded from this provision are illiterate, blind or disabled voters and those of advanced age who may exercise their right to vote with a person of their choice. No person shall be a companion for more than one time.”
• Article 156 states, “Data of disabled voters registered on the Electoral Register must additionally contain and indication of the condition of the elector with special needs, for the purpose of adapting physical spaces and electoral instruments in electoral places.”
• Article 157 states, “The National Electoral Council will tend to the design of voting tools to ensure accessibility for voters and voters with visual and motor impairments so that they can exercise their right to vote without any intermediation.”
• Article 158 states, “The National Electoral Council will ensure that the campaigns outreach and education are developed to guarantee access to them on the part of voters with disabilities. In this sense there should be simultaneous translation of the message, including sign language messages, audiovisual works and the development of information options in Braille.”

• Constitution - http://www.analitica.com/bitblioteca/venezuela/constitucion_ingles.pdf
• Organic  Law on the Electoral Processes - http://www.corpoandes.gov.ve/files/imagenes/file/leyes/1RA-LEYORGANICA-DE-LOS-PROCESOS-ELECTORALES-20--05-09.pdf