User:Razr Nation/Venezuelan presidential election

The election of the President of Venezuela is a direct vote in which citizens of Venezuela registered to vote in one of the twenty-three states or the Capital District cast ballots for the person or political party that they desire to see elected to the office of President of Venezuela. Since 2006, presidential elections occur every six years, usually during the last three months of the calendar, and sometimes coinciding with the general elections of various other federal, state, and local races. The next presidential election is expected to take place in 2018.

The presidential election process is defined by the Venezuelan Constitution and regulated by the National Electoral Council (CNE), the latter being responsible of carrying out all election procedures in the country. Under the constitution, the president is to be elected through direct elections by a plurality of the votes, without a possible second round of voting if none of the candidates achieves a majority. As of 2013, six presidential elections ended up with the winner not achieving a majority of the popular vote, the last one being the presidential election of 1993.

Democratic Action (AD) is the most successful party in Venezuela's modern history, winning five presidential elections with four different candidates. The Great Patriotic Pole (GPP) coalition (comprised of MVR and its successor PSUV) is in second place with four presidential victories (five if the 2000 general election is included) and two presidents. COPEI follows in third place with two victories and two presidencies. Rafael Caldera is the only president to be elected to two different terms alongside different parties; he was first elected in 1968 with COPEI, and then in 1993 with National Convergence. Since 1947, only three presidents have been elected more than once: Caldera, Carlos Andres Perez and Hugo Chávez, with Chávez being the only one re-elected for an immediate second (and later third) term. Chávez is also the only directly elected president to have died in office, and the first to do so since Juan Vicente Gómez in 1935.

The following list includes only presidential elections held from 1947 onwards. Prior to that date, the president was elected by Congress instead. Special elections, held after either death, resignation or a successfull recall referendum takes place, are included in this list. As of 2016 and since 1947, fourteen presidential elections have been held, the latest one being the special election of 2013, which took place after the death of Hugo Chávez. Nicolás Maduro was elected president to finish Chávez's third term (which was scheduled to last until 5 February 2019), although a request for a referendum to recall him from office is currently underway, which means that another presidential election might take place sooner than 2018.