Ana Vanessa Herrero

Witnesses watch this hand count, often not just the accredited witnesses. By law, anyone is allowed to watch the hand count in their voting center, as long as there's enough room. And then at the end of the day, there's the akta, a summary of vote totals from the entire day. Actas look the same all over the country.

Witnesses watch this hand count, often not just the accredited witnesses. By law, anyone is allowed to watch the hand count in their voting center, as long as there's enough room. And then at the end of the day, there's the akta, a summary of vote totals from the entire day. Actas look the same all over the country.

They are a recognizable and agreed-upon measure of voting results in Venezuela, each one with a unique identifier tying it to a specific voting center and voting machine. So Maria was at the voting center to keep an eye on the process, to complain, to make a fuss if she thought something was unfair or if the process was stalling out.

They are a recognizable and agreed-upon measure of voting results in Venezuela, each one with a unique identifier tying it to a specific voting center and voting machine. So Maria was at the voting center to keep an eye on the process, to complain, to make a fuss if she thought something was unfair or if the process was stalling out.

But at the end of the voting day, if the law was followed, she would walk out not just with a bunch of stories about what looked fishy, but with the actual results in her hand, the acta. The ACTA isn't about suspicions and observations and complaints. It doesn't raise questions about who won. It answers them.

But at the end of the voting day, if the law was followed, she would walk out not just with a bunch of stories about what looked fishy, but with the actual results in her hand, the acta. The ACTA isn't about suspicions and observations and complaints. It doesn't raise questions about who won. It answers them.

The last hurdle of the day came after voting closed. Maria calls the character in this part the bureaucrat, a woman from the electoral council who stepped in to deal with the voting machines. The machines finalize the numbers and transmit them to the electoral council.

The last hurdle of the day came after voting closed. Maria calls the character in this part the bureaucrat, a woman from the electoral council who stepped in to deal with the voting machines. The machines finalize the numbers and transmit them to the electoral council.

The data are encrypted and sent through a dedicated wireless phone line that is just for the voting data and is only accessible through the voting machines.

The data are encrypted and sent through a dedicated wireless phone line that is just for the voting data and is only accessible through the voting machines.

The Electoral Council later blamed the interrupted transmission of voting results on a hack, the one they never provided credible evidence for. Maria, in her voting center, was watching the transmission problems in real time, standing next to the bureaucrat at the voting machine.

The Electoral Council later blamed the interrupted transmission of voting results on a hack, the one they never provided credible evidence for. Maria, in her voting center, was watching the transmission problems in real time, standing next to the bureaucrat at the voting machine.

Maria said she couldn't get her copy of the ACTA until the machine transmitted the results. So this problem with the machine, this breakdown in transmission, led to a sort of slapstick routine inside her voting center.

Maria said she couldn't get her copy of the ACTA until the machine transmitted the results. So this problem with the machine, this breakdown in transmission, led to a sort of slapstick routine inside her voting center.

Oh my God.

Oh my God.

Versions of this happened at other voting centers, including people moving the machines outside to see if they could get a signal there. Maria could only spend so much time on this table-moving craziness, though.

Versions of this happened at other voting centers, including people moving the machines outside to see if they could get a signal there. Maria could only spend so much time on this table-moving craziness, though.

Finally, the data were transmitted and the results at Maria's voting center were official. It was a blowout.

Finally, the data were transmitted and the results at Maria's voting center were official. It was a blowout.