Caracas Chronicles

I’m going to be guarding the blog for the rest of the day. You can also follow my twitter feed for more up-to-date information.

A few nuggets I’ve been getting (sorry, no links):

1. I hear from the Guarenas-Guatire circuit that turnout in middle-class areas is good, but turnout in less wealthy areas is poor.

2. People have been voting very quickly, which may account for the relatively few lines people have been reporting. In a particular voting center in eastern Caracas, a friend voted in 10 minutes, but turnout had already exceeded 55%. According to Puzkas, turnout at the national level is 35%. Would this confirm that opposition strongholds are turning out more heavily than chavista ones, and the country at large? You be the judge.

3. IVAD Pollster Mr. Seijas, supposedly the only one doing circuit-by-circuit polling, is known in Caracas circles for being a cheapskate. His polling samples are much smaller than the rest of the pollsters’, which may explain why his polls are half as expensive as, say, Consultores 21.

4. And no, neither Pepe Toro Hardy nor Alfredo Toro Hardy have died.