Venezuelans went to hi-tech polling booths on Sunday for the first presidential election of the post-Hugo Chávez era, with surveys indicating that his chosen successor will win a clear mandate to continue his policies of "21st Century Socialism."
If he wins, Nicolás Maduro, the ruling party candidate, has promised to extend social welfare "missions" and disarm the slums to reduce alarmingly high levels of crime in the South American nation.
Although most recent polls have put the former trade union negotiator more than 10 points ahead of his business-orientated rival Henrique Capriles, there are indications that the turnout may not be as high as in the past.
The short, 10-day campaign was prompted by Chávez's death from cancer on 5 March. It has been marked by allegations of impropriety and constant references to the politician who dominated Venezuela's political life for the past 14 years.
Maduro's campaign slogan has been "We are all Chávez", describing himself as a son of the "Christ of the Poor". He visited his mentor's tomb on Saturday to commemorate the 10th anniversary of a failed coup against the former leader.
Capriles, a 40-year-old state governor who promised to manage the economy more effectively, wrote on his Twitter feed that this event – widely covered by the government-controlled media – was a "flagrant violation" of electoral rules that forbid campaigning in the two days prior to the vote.
It was one of many claims of unfairness leveled by the challenger, who is disadvantaged by Maduro's extra airtime on state news channels, his use of the presidential jet to fly to rallies, and resources and personnel from massive state-owned companies.
In contrast, the vote itself has been lauded by outside observers as among the most advanced in the world.
Voters lodge their choices electronically on touchscreens, then place printed hardcopies in a ballot box before signing their names to confirm they have done their electoral duty.
On the streets of Caracas, it was easy to spot those who had already voted by their purple little fingers, marked with indellible ink to ensure that nobody could cast a ballot twice.
Former US president Jimmy Carter has described this system as the best of the 92 national elections that his Carter Centre has monitored worldwide, though his organisation has emphasised there are concerns about campaign fairness.
Supporters of Maduro rallied voters early on Sunday morning with soundtrucks playing bugle calls and recordings of the national anthem being sung by Chávez.
However, at the Miguel Otero Silva voting centre in Antimano, a poor district in eastern Caracas, voters said the turnout seemed lower than six months ago when Venezuelans chose between Chávez and Capriles; the reasons many cited was that Maduro was no Chávez.
Read more: Venezuela votes in hi-tech poll to choose Chávez successor | World news | guardian.co.uk
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