Caracas, 09 Ago. AVN.- Rector of the National Electoral Council (CNE), Tania D'Amelio, reaffirmed that the secret vote is guaranteed in the presidential elections next October 7 and she called on the population to be on the alert in the face of a smear campaign launched by small political sectors against the institution.

Identifying "people's fingerprint will be the first step to choose the presidential candidate. We have to identify those splinter groups which aim not only at confusing but also to put people against CNE," D'Amelio said in an interview at the National Assembly's TV.

The rector of the electoral body also informed that next August 10 the poll books will be once again audited and she added that "this process consists of comparing poll books with the Electoral Register."

Each poll book has information about voters, address, identity numbers and birth date, as well as empty areas for voters to place their signature and fingerprint the election day.

Audit processes are carried out to confirm that the number of voters in a polling station is the same which appears in the register.

Tania D'Amelio stressed that presidential hopefuls, as well as political organizations which nominated them, shall strictly abide by the regulations of the electoral process, in compliance with a Commitment for Democracy they all signed at the National Electoral Council.