Following the Venezuelan election held on July 28, 2024, many Venezuelans and spectators suspected Nicolás Maduro’s third re-election may be illegitimate. The 2024 election marks 11 years since the first election of Maduro in 2013, which has sparked economic instability and decline ever since, according to the Council on Foreign Relations.
According to the Human Rights Watch, while civil unrest and protests continue in Venezuela due to Maduro’s heavily disputed victory over Edmundo González in the 2024 election, civilians are continuing to suffer hyperinflation, chronic food shortages, and various human rights violations. As Venezuelans continue to protest Maduro’s victory, Stevenson teachers like Andrew Conneen, AP Comparative Government teacher and Political Action Club sponsor, have contemplated the reasons behind election fraud.
“Authoritarian governments are more likely to use methods of voter fraud as a way of maintaining their control of power while presenting an image to their citizens and to other countries that the government won its authority to rule from the voters,” Conneen stated.
To Conneen, upholding its reputation and power is one of the primary reasons that governments may hold unfair elections. The effect, AP Comparative Government student Isaac Sommerfeld ’25 asserts, is the neglect of peoples’ voices and values.
“Election fraud decreases social cohesion in a country, and you can’t really work towards a common goal if you don’t believe that your government actually reflects the values of the people,” Sommerfeld said. “It could result in people disregarding the results of future elections, so it just creates an endless cycle.”
Election illegitimacy prevents the improvement of a country as the government fails to hear the needs of its citizens, increasing distrust among civilians, according to Sommerfeld. Per Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, 280 anti-government demonstration events occurred in Venezuela between July 28 and Aug. 23 in 2024 across 121 municipalities as a result of Maduro’s victory.
Conneen encourages students to engage more in politics in order to maintain the relationship between the government and its citizens. As a result, this kind of relationship can help avoid citizens’ disapproval of and dissatisfaction in its government. Through increased political engagement, Conneen believes students can help local residents feel more secure about election results.
“Every year, Stevenson trains dozens of students to work as Lake County Election Judges to work in different neighborhoods each Election Day to ensure that the voting rules are followed and votes are accurately counted,” Conneen stated.
Conneen suggests that student involvement in politics, such as working as Lake County Election Judges, will help assure citizens their voices are correctly counted. Without proper representation of the people and adherence to the law, Sommerfield believes that the citizens’ support for the government will continue to dwindle.
“If election results aren’t being verified or the people don’t think it’s true, that results in an erosion of trust,” Sommerfeld said. “If the people don’t think elections are conducted fairly or transparently, they may lose faith in the legitimacy of the political system itself.”