The Venezuelan government faces its toughest electoral test in decades. Sunday's presidential election could grant President Nicolás Maduro another six years in power or put an end to socialist policies that once reduced poverty but have since pushed the country into an ongoing economic crisis due to sustained mismanagement.

The President of Venezuela and re-election candidate, Nicolás Maduro, assured this Sunday that he would respect the outcome of the elections announced by the National Electoral Council (CNE) at the end of the day and called on his nine opponents to publicly commit to this matter.

“I recognize and will recognize the referee, the official bulletins, and will ensure they are respected. The electoral referee's word will be law, and I call on the 10 presidential candidates and the 38 political parties to publicly declare that they will respect the official bulletin of the organization,” the president said to reporters after voting in western Caracas.

He reiterated his campaign message that his candidacy is "the only guarantee of peace" in the country.

María Corina Machado, a prominent opposition figure, shared an emotional message on her social media:

"Dear Venezuelans, the day has come!!! We have been fighting for a moment for 25 years, and the moment has arrived. I ask you to listen to and share this message in which I ask you to take very important actions for tomorrow’s big day. We are going to WIN! Venezuela will be free."

For years, opposition politicians boycotted elections they saw as rigged. However, as the government's popularity has waned, former rivals have united in an attempt to change the government at the ballot box. The opposition candidate is Edmundo González Urrutia, a former ambassador with no public office experience, who has been campaigning with María Corina Machado, a former lawmaker who was banned from running. Together, they have promised an economy that will lure back the millions of Venezuelans who have left the country.

President Nicolás Maduro’s popularity has dwindled due to an economic crisis caused by a drop in oil prices, corruption, and government mismanagement. More than 21 million Venezuelans are registered to vote, but the exodus of over 7.7 million people due to the prolonged crisis—including about 4 million voters—is expected to reduce the number of potential voters to about 17 million.