Ana Vanessa Herrero

She and Pedro got to the voting center around 4.15 a.m. Pedro would stay outside the voting center all day, rallying voters, keeping the peace, and being Maria's liaison to the rest of the 600K network. Inside, there were two tables with voting machines. Maria was the opposition witness at one table, and she had an ally, the woman who was the opposition witness at the other table.

From Maria's description, the two of them spent the day at their voting center playing tag team chess, a co-obstacle course. Hurdle number one. Maria's first argument with the other side was about how many witnesses would be allowed inside the voting center. Every accredited witness has two backup witnesses.

From Maria's description, the two of them spent the day at their voting center playing tag team chess, a co-obstacle course. Hurdle number one. Maria's first argument with the other side was about how many witnesses would be allowed inside the voting center. Every accredited witness has two backup witnesses.

Chavista meaning here a supporter of Maduro. Maduro is the successor to Hugo Chavez, so chavista.

Chavista meaning here a supporter of Maduro. Maduro is the successor to Hugo Chavez, so chavista.

Hurdle number two. On this election day, Maria's voting center had only two tables, even though in past elections it's had more.

Hurdle number two. On this election day, Maria's voting center had only two tables, even though in past elections it's had more.

Each vote requires a person's government-issued ID, their fingerprint, a choice on the voting machine, and a paper copy generated by the machine that the voter has to put in a box. So there are many points in the process where a person moving slowly can really gum things up.

Each vote requires a person's government-issued ID, their fingerprint, a choice on the voting machine, and a paper copy generated by the machine that the voter has to put in a box. So there are many points in the process where a person moving slowly can really gum things up.

Maria suspected that putting all the old people in one line was a deliberate attempt to slow the process and discourage people from voting.

Maria suspected that putting all the old people in one line was a deliberate attempt to slow the process and discourage people from voting.

Looking into this, I think it's likely this was just random chance that more older voters were concentrated at one voting machine. Voters are pre-assigned to specific voting machines long before election day. But Maria still believes it was a deliberate attempt to slow down and discourage voting. Everyone in Maria's account of this day she just refers to by their title, like they're in a play.

Looking into this, I think it's likely this was just random chance that more older voters were concentrated at one voting machine. Voters are pre-assigned to specific voting machines long before election day. But Maria still believes it was a deliberate attempt to slow down and discourage voting. Everyone in Maria's account of this day she just refers to by their title, like they're in a play.

First, the chavista. Next up, the soldier. There were actually three soldiers at the voting center. The soldiers are in voting centers, supposedly, to guard the voting process. Maria focused on the one in charge, prodding him if she saw anything that went against what was outlined in the election law pamphlet she was holding. All day she was on him, any small deviation from the official process.

First, the chavista. Next up, the soldier. There were actually three soldiers at the voting center. The soldiers are in voting centers, supposedly, to guard the voting process. Maria focused on the one in charge, prodding him if she saw anything that went against what was outlined in the election law pamphlet she was holding. All day she was on him, any small deviation from the official process.

And she said in the middle of the day, she really got on his case because the line for the other voting machine stopped altogether. And she said it stayed stopped for more than two hours.

And she said in the middle of the day, she really got on his case because the line for the other voting machine stopped altogether. And she said it stayed stopped for more than two hours.

Maria, is it hard for you to be vocal like that, to stand up? Or is that how you usually are?

Maria, is it hard for you to be vocal like that, to stand up? Or is that how you usually are?

There's a fervor in the way Maria describes her own vigilance that day that might sound familiar to Americans, like in other countries' Stop the Steal movement, which also mobilized voters around the country to go to their voting center on Election Day with a copy of local election laws and their suspicion and their willingness to speak up. Venezuela's election was like that. And it wasn't.