2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Background, Operación Alacrán and Armando.info investigation
The Venezuelan opposition alleged that they were targeted by what they described as a "campaign of bribery and intimidation" by Nicolás Maduro's government in December 2019. Venezuelan lawmakers and the United States State Department said that opposition deputies, in parties led or allied with Guaidó, were being offered up to US$1 million to not vote for him. Luis Parra and other opposition deputies were removed from their parties following allegations that they were being bribed by Maduro. National Assembly deputies Ismael León and Luis Stefanelli directly accused Parra in December 2019 of attempting to bribe deputies to vote against Guaidó. Parra denied the allegations and said he was open to being investigated for corruption. Weeks prior to his investigation, Parra openly shared support for Guaidó and promoted his protest movement.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Background, Operación Alacrán and Armando.info investigation
Deputy Delsa Solórzano accused Nicolás Maduro on CNN Radio Argentina of directing the operation. According to her, the government resorted to this method after failing to incarcerate or suspend the parliamentary immunity of the deputies, denouncing a considerable increase of political persecution as 5 January was approaching, explaining that security forces have gone to the houses of many deputies without alternates, and the only one with one, according to Solórzano, did accept the bribe.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Background, Operación Alacrán and Armando.info investigation
On 3 January 2020, Nicmer Evans, a Caracas-based analyst, alleged that Maduro had managed to cause 14 deputies to not cast a vote for Guaidó through these tactics. Guaidó theoretically controlled 112 seats in the Assembly at the time, needing 84 votes to win.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Background, Arrest and indictments
Additionally, the deputy Juan Requesens, who has been detained as a political prisoner since August 2018, had visitation rights removed for the day of the election, according to his sister Rafaela. In December 2019, deputy Gilber Caro was also arrested with no charges.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Events and contested results, Raid of deputies' hotel
In the early morning of 5 January, members of the police and intelligence service entered Paseo Las Mercedes, a hotel in which many opposition deputies were staying. The officials said that they found explosive devices in the hotel.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Events and contested results, Blockade of the Parliament
In the morning, deputies started passing the many entry checkpoints of the Legislative Federal Palace. There was a moment were the National Guard started allowing the entry one by one. Opposition deputies denounced that the officials were deliberately slowing down the entry, and many lawmakers spoke with the minority leader, Francisco Torrealba, to intercede, who went out several times. There was a moment where the opposition deputies in the last checkpoint were not allowed to enter. Guaidó and other opposition deputies were blocked from entering by the Bolivarian National Guard.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Events and contested results, Blockade of the Parliament
Journalists were also impeded from covering the event. Security forces only allowed entry to reporters whose names appeared in a list provided by Maduro's Ministry of Information. State-run media was allowed to enter the building. About 35 of the national and international media outlets accredited by the National Assembly to cover the legislative sessions were not allowed entry. The Venezuelan Press Workers Union published a list of nearly forty outlets that were denied entry to the National Assembly.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Events and contested results, Blockade of the Parliament
Some diplomatic representatives, including from Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain, were denied entry as well, and the delegates from Chile and Mexico were the only ones allowed access.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Events and contested results, Blockade of the Parliament
After 11:00 am (VET), when the session was scheduled to have started, the pro-government deputies inside the session chamber started chanting "let the session begin". After chanting, singing, and taking pictures, the deputies simulated the election of a new parliament leadership, jokingly appointing Óscar Figuera, deputy of the Communist Party of Venezuela, as "self-proclaimed" president of the Assembly. Figuera pronounced a speech and joked that the appointed group would be transitional, since a new leadership would be appointed in short.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Events and contested results, Blockade of the Parliament
Deputy Nirma Guarulla was blocked from entering and had her parliamentary credential snatched away, and deputies Delsa Solórzano and Nora Bracho were assaulted after attempting to enter. A rumor spread that Gilberto Sojo, alternate deputy of Gaby Arellano that had precautionary measures, could be arrested, causing Guaidó to decide to stay next to him. These events led to Guaidó to refuse when the National Guard asked him to enter if the remaining deputies, around twenty, did not enter.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Events and contested results, Blockade of the Parliament
However, the officials never opened the entry access to him or asked for his credential, and on the contrary, reinforced the security in the perimeter. Guaidó and the other opposition deputies were blocked from entering by the National Guard afterwards. Guaidó tried to climb over a fence around the building, but was pushed back by members of the National Guard.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Events and contested results, Luis Parra declares himself president
Briefly before the session started, outside the Legislative Palace, José Brito postulated Luis Parra as an alternative candidate to Guaidó, as well as Franklyn Duarte and José Gregorio Noriega as first and second vicepresidents, respectively.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Events and contested results, Luis Parra declares himself president
Francisco Torrealba assured that when Guaidó did not arrive at the scheduled time to open the session, the deputies inside the legislative chamber applied the Internal and Debate Rules, establishing that the oldest deputy would assume the Assembly Chair to moderate the election of a new leadership.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Events and contested results, Luis Parra declares himself president
Luis Parra, who was granted access to the legislative palace before, announced by surprise that he would be appointed as president of the National Assembly. The diplomatic delegates that were present withdrew. Pro -government and opposition deputies started stepping up to the tribune and arguing, and deputies José Brito and Marcos Bozo had a scuffle. A group of men accompanied by pro-government deputies Nosliw Rodríguez and Ileana Medina tried to open the sound control room of the session chamber forcefully, kicking the door, while deputy María Beatriz Martínez tried to prevent it.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Events and contested results, Luis Parra declares himself president
United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) deputies gave instructions to Parra, Franklyn Duarte and José Gregorio Noriega, assuring that there was quorum for the appointment and asking him to take the offices of the Assembly's Chair. Francisco Torrealba instructed Parra to remain seated and to call the secretary. Other PSUV deputies handed a megaphone to Parra to let him speaker, and when they managed to enter into the sound control room they let him know that the chamber had sound he could use the microphones.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Events and contested results, Luis Parra declares himself president
Luis Parra announced himself president of the National Assembly. Franklyn Duarte and José Gregorio Noriega were named first and second vice president of the National Assembly, respectively. Negal Morales was named secretary of the National Assembly. The quorum was not confirmed, and contrary to Article 8 of the Internal and Debate Rules, the vote for each position did not take place.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Events and contested results, Luis Parra declares himself president
Speaking to reporters, Parra said that 140 lawmakers were present at his session, and that he had been elected with 81 votes. Pedro Carreño, a ruling party deputy, told AFP that there were 150 deputies present and that Parra received 84 votes, the exact majority needed to win. Nicolás Maduro recognized Parra as the new president of the National Assembly, saying that "there was a rebellion inside the National Assembly" and that "the National Assembly has made a decision".


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Events and contested results, Luis Parra declares himself president
Regarding the controversy of the opposition attempting to enter the Palacio Federal Legislativo, Maduro said "if the failed Guaidó did not want to enter it was because he did not have the votes", dismissing that Guaidó and his supporters were prevented from entering. Parra told state media that they started the session before Guaidó arrived, which is why he was not there. Francisco Torrealba described the proclamation as "unusual", but "valid" and "historic".


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Events and contested results, Luis Parra declares himself president
The opposition said that the election did not achieve quorum, and that Parra declared himself president without any votes counted. When reporters asked Parra for the official tally of votes–usually released the same the day–he said that it "was not available" and there was not a date for its release.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Events and contested results, Opposition election
After being blocked from entering the Palacio Federal Legislativo, Guaidó announced that a separate session of the National Assembly would happen in the building of El Nacional, a Venezuelan newspaper. National Assembly deputies signed their names on an attendance list upon entering the facility.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Events and contested results, Opposition election
Stalin González, appointed as incidental secretary, explained that there were two attendance lists: the first one being that of those who could not start the session in the Legislative Federal Palace, 127 deputies, meaning that there was quorum but they were not allowed to enter. In the second list there also was quorum.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Events and contested results, Opposition election
At the session, Guaidó was re-elected president of the National Assembly; there were 111 total votes from deputies, with 100 approving of Guaidó being reappointed president. Juan Pablo Guanipa and Carlos Berrizbeitia were elected as first and second vice-presidents, respectively, taking oath at the scene.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Events and contested results, Opposition election
During Guaidó speech, he announced his resignation from Popular Will to secure more autonomy in his actions.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Events and contested results, Opposition election
Several deputies abroad followed and endorsed the vote remotely from Madrid, Spain.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Media censorship
State communications service CANTV reportedly blocked access to social media sites Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube on the day of the election. Block tracking website NetBlocks reported that the block began as the National Assembly session did, criticizing this.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Aftermath
The 16 July group, which previously said that they would vote based on the February 2016 governance agreement, voted to appoint Guaidó as president of the National Assembly after Parra's proclamation.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Aftermath
#AsambleaNacional aún sin quórum, y sin la mayoría de los parlamentarios en el hemiciclo, hoy decidimos tomar la @AsambleaVE por la fuerza, en alianza con el Psuv y @NicolasMaduro para lograr un cambio en Venezuela, con participación de todos. Pedimos al pueblo su respaldo!


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Aftermath
#NationalAssembly still without quorum, and without the majority of the parliamentarians in the chamber, today we decided to take over the @AsambleaVE by force, in alliance with the PSUV and @NicolasMaduro to accomplish a change in Venezuela, with the participation of everyone. We ask support to the people!


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Aftermath
The tweet was deleted and Morales later tweeted that the statement was false, but the tweet was archived in Wayback Machine before being deleted along with several responses about an hour after being published.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Aftermath
The COPEI party announced that deputies Franklyn Duarte and Manuel González would be sent to the party's disciplinary council for their involvement in Parra's proclamation. Franklyn Duarte was subsequently expelled from COPEI on 6 January 2020.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Aftermath, Follow-up session and re-investiture of Guaidó
On 7 January, Luis Parra and his allies started a legislative session on the national gas shortages. Parra started the meeting without the attendance figures that are ordinarily required to start a session. Guaidó and other opposition lawmakers were prevented from entering due to police barricades. Parra's session was stopped as opposition lawmakers forced their way in, and Parra was seen running away from the Legislative Palace as the opposition deputies entered. After electricity was cut in the parliament, Guaidó initiated a new parliamentary session and was sworn in to continue his role as president of the National Assembly. When leaving the parliament, security forces fired gas canisters. Some journalists and opposition lawmakers denounced being injured and robbed by armed civilian militias. After these events, Parra reaffirmed his claim to the presidency of National Assembly.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Aftermath, Sanctions by the United States
The United States Department of the Treasury sanctioned seven individuals, "who, at the bidding of Maduro, attempted to block the democratic process in Venezuela,” according to US Secretary of Treasury Steven Mnuchin on 13 January 2020. The sanctioned have their assets in the US frozen and are not allowed to do business with US financial markets nor with US citizens. The list includes the members of Parra's appointed board of directors and his supporters: Franklyn Duarte, José Gregorio Noriega, Negal Morales, José Brito, Conrado Pérez, Adolfo Superlano and Luis Parra himself.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Aftermath, Sanctions by the United States
Hours later, Maduro's Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza published a statement saying that the sanctions imposed by the US Treasury seek to "interfere and undermine the proper functioning of democratic institutions, with the unusual intention to designate from Washington the authorities of the legislative power." The statement also argues that these tactics are "contrary to international law and undermine the stability, peace and self-determination of the Venezuelan people."


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Aftermath, Investigation on Parra's tally
A report on the tally of votes–usually released the same the day of an election–was not available after Parra's took oath. On 13 January 2020, Venezuela's Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ) ordered Parra's Board of Directors to submit the tally of votes and proof of quorum. The TSJ gave it five days to provide the report and ruled that provisionally, both Parra and Guaidó, as well as the vice-speaker designates declared by both sides, would enjoy legal immunity. The TSJ did not ask for Guaidó's tally. Ten days after the oath, the report was still missing. When asked, Parra's has given several versions on why the report is unavailable, including that the report might have been stolen.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Aftermath, Investigation on Parra's tally
The TSJ ruled in favor of Parra on 25 May 2020, who it recognizes as the sole president of the National Assembly.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Aftermath, Justice First complaint
On 16 January, José Brito and Conrado Pérez filed a complaint in the Supreme Tribunal of Justice against the leadership of Justice First, the party they were expelled from. The deputies asked to be restituted in the party, saying that there was no justification to be expelled from Justice First and their due process, right of defense and presumption of innocence. They also asked the high court to appoint a new leadership "that was in Venezuela", since the current one was in exile, and to summon new internal elections.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Aftermath, Justice First complaint
The deputies were received by the president of the Constitutional Chamber and the meeting lasted a little more than an hour. Outside the Supreme Tribunal, a group of around two hundred people met in support of the deputies. El Pitazo reported that earlier in the morning, some persons were handing out shirts of the party, most apparently new. Several demonstrators interviewed by the outlet expressed ignoring the reasons of the meeting or the contents of the complaint introduced.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Aftermath, Justice First complaint
In some cases, they affirmed having been taken by bus, could not say for long they were part of Justice First, did not know that Luis Parra was not present or declared being paid for assisting. The party's secretary general, Tomás Guanipa, declared that the deputies sought to give the party's electoral card to Nicolás Maduro.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Aftermath, Disrupted sessions and attacks on deputies
Guaidó called for a rally to follow him to a parliamentary session to be held on 11 January, but after security forces barricaded the parliament the session was held in the headquarters of El Nacional.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Aftermath, Disrupted sessions and attacks on deputies
Security forces returned to barricade the legislative palace in follow-up session scheduled by Guaidó on 15 January. Colectivos, pro-Maduro civilian paramilitary groups, appeared on the scene and attacked the caravan of the lawmakers that tried to reach parliament. Gunshots were heard and a car carrying lawmakers, transporting Guaido's vicepresident Berrizbeitia, got its windows shattered, but no injuries were reported. Guaidó decried what he called an "ambush against the Federal Palace". The session was moved to El Hatillo Municipality in Caracas. Diosdado Cabello, president of Constituent National Assembly, a different legislative body, congratulated colectivos for "defending these spaces belonging to the Bolivarian Revolution.”


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Aftermath, Disrupted sessions and attacks on deputies
Opposition deputies were denied entry to parliament for a third time by security forces and colectivos on 21 January. Guaidó's headquarters were raided afterwards by intelligence SEBIN forces. The same day, an opposition deputy, Ismael León, was arrested by Venezuelan special police forces FAES, according to members of Popular Will. FAES operations usually focus on poor neighborhoods and the squad was accused of carrying out thousands of extrajudicial killings by the United Nations. This arrest, alongside Caro's arrest in November 2019, would be the first two times that FAES deals with public figures.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Aftermath, Disrupted sessions and attacks on deputies
In March, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, in an updated report of human right violations in Venezuela, expressed concerns on the arrested lawmakers, Gilber Caro and Ismael León.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Aftermath, Protests
Several thousands of Venezuelans, led by Guaidó, carried a rally with the objective to take back the Parliament on 10 March 2020. The march was halted by security forces that blocked the roads and fired tear gas to disperse the crowd. Tuesday legislative session was later carried by opposition lawmakers in Las Mercedes's square in Caracas. After the rally, special police forces, raided an hotel and detained three lawmakers that were staying there; two of them were later released according to congress. Maduro administration called a counter-protest the same day, a rally that was attended by hundreds of red-shirted supporters. Protests were canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic in Venezuela.


2020 Venezuelan National Assembly Delegated Committee election, Public opinion
According to a survey carried out by Datanálisis in early February 2020: 39% of Venezuelans consider that there is a legitimate National Assembly presided by Juan Guaidó, 36% consider that there is no legitimate National Assembly for the moment, 16% does not know or does not answer and 10% consider that there is a legitimate National Assembly presided by Luis Parra.


2020 Venezuelan Primera División season
The 2020 Primera División season, officially Liga de Fútbol Profesional Venezolano or Liga FUTVE, was the 39th professional season of the Venezuelan Primera División, Venezuela's top-flight football league. Caracas were the defending champions.


2020 Venezuelan Primera División season
The competition was suspended on 12 March due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with all the results recorded until then voided on 15 May, and was reset starting from 14 October with a new format, ending on 15 December 2020. Deportivo La Guaira won their first league title, beating Deportivo Táchira by a score of 2–0 in the final played at Valencia.


2020 Venezuelan Primera División season, Format changes, Original format
The league format changed for the 2020 season. No Apertura and Clausura tournaments would be held and the 20 teams would face each other in a home-and-away round-robin tournament, for a total of 38 matches per team. The top eight teams of the first stage would advance to the semi-final stage, depending on eligibility requirements for CONMEBOL tournaments. The bottom two teams would be relegated. In the semi-final stage, the eight teams would be divided in two groups of four teams each, facing the other teams in their group twice. The two group winners would advance to the Serie Final to decide the league champions.


2020 Venezuelan Primera División season, Format changes, New format
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the league was suspended on 12 March. On 15 May, the FVF announced the permanent suspension of the competition, with all first stage matches being voided.


2020 Venezuelan Primera División season, Format changes, New format
On 18 September, a new format was announced by the FVF and the Liga FUTVE, with the teams divided in two groups, playing each other twice. The group winners decided the league champions in a single match, and the next three teams of each group were awarded the remaining berths for CONMEBOL tournaments. Matches were played in Barinas, Puerto Cabello and Valencia. Relegation was suspended until 2021. Due to the format change of the Copa Sudamericana, the play-offs to decide the order of berths for the tournament were not played.


2020 Venezuelan Primera División season, Teams
On 24 January, Llaneros was administratively relegated to the Segunda División by FVF as ordered by FIFA due to a lawsuit by former player Leonardo Ossa, whom the club failed to pay an outstanding debt. Llaneros played in the second tier during the 2020 season, therefore the league was contested by 19 teams.


2020 Venezuelan Primera División season, Teams
Zulia and LALA withdrew from the competition on 7 September due to safety concerns caused by the pandemic.


2020 Venezuelan Primera División season, Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on 12 March the Liga FUTVE announced the suspension of the seventh round of matches, scheduled for the weekend of 14–15 March. That same day, the FVF announced the suspension of every footballing activity in the country. On 15 March, the Liga FUTVE cancelled a meeting originally scheduled for 18 March and also confirmed the indefinite suspension of the Primera División tournament.


2020 Venezuelan Primera División season, Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
On 15 May, and after an emergency meeting held the previous day via video conference, the FVF announced the "permanent suspension" of the Primera and Segunda División seasons due to the inability to resume play under the conditions initially stated in the league regulations, effectively voiding the standings and results of matches played up until the suspension of the season.


2020 Venezuelan Primera División season, Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
At the same time, the Federation's Commission of Club Competitions was tasked with elaborating a new tournament with a format and regulations suited to the necessary conditions for its execution, considering the application of sporting merit, club licensing requirements, and medical protocols.


2020 Venezuelan Primera División season, Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
That same day, the Liga FUTVE issued a statement in which it rejected the suspension and voiding of the results of the 2020 season by the FVF, stating that the decision was made without consulting the league nor the teams, which was deemed to be as "a disrespect as well as putting at risk the economic and sports stability" of sports institutions.


2020 Venezuelan Primera División season, Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
In early June both the FVF and the Liga FUTVE presented, on their own, proposals to resume the competition. While the organization administering the league proposed to resume the tournament at the point at which it was suspended and play a single round-robin instead of a double round-robin as originally planned, with matches played only in the Carabobo state, the governing body proposed to play a new tournament from scratch with the teams split into two groups according to geographical proximity.


2020 Venezuelan Primera División season, Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
On 14 June, the Venezuelan government authorized clubs to resume their training sessions starting from 15 June under biosecurity protocols and announced that the organizers of the football league had to put together a plan along with the National Institute of Sport (IND) to establish the new schedule and dates for the competition. Activities were also restricted to the "Carabobo-Yaracuy axis" as those were two of the states with the lowest rates of infection for COVID-19.


2020 Venezuelan Primera División season, Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
However, following a letter sent to the FVF by FIFA in which it confirmed that the power to organize the national football league rested in the national governing body, on 10 July the Liga FUTVE decided to withdraw their proposal to resume the competition, leaving the responsibility to organize the tournament on the FVF.


2020 Venezuelan Primera División season, Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
On 7 September, Zulia announced that they would not be taking part in the tournament, arguing that the adequate biosecurity conditions were not in place to resume activities. That same day, LALA also declined to take part due to the same issues raised by Zulia.


2020 Venezuelan Primera División season, Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
The new format was announced on 18 September, with the group stage taking place in Barinas, Puerto Cabello and Valencia.


2020 Venezuelan Primera División season, First stage
The first stage began on 30 January. Each team would play each other twice for 36 matchdays. It was scheduled to end on 25 October with the top eight teams advancing to the semi-finals and the bottom team being relegated. The first stage standings and matches up to the suspension of the league on 12 March were voided by the FVF on 15 May.


2020 Venezuelan Primera División season, Torneo de Normalización, Group stage
The 17 teams were drawn into two groups: one group of nine teams, hosted in Puerto Cabello and Valencia, and one group of eight teams, hosted in Barinas. The top teams in each group advanced to the Final to decide the league champions, the group runners-up decided their starting round in the Copa Libertadores qualifying stages, and the third and fourth placed teams qualified for the Copa Sudamericana. The draw was held on 18 September 2020.


2020 Venezuelan Primera División season, Torneo de Normalización, Group stage, Group A
Group A was played at La Bombonerita in Puerto Cabello and Estadio Misael Delgado in Valencia.


2020 Venezuelan Primera División season, Torneo de Normalización, Group stage, Group B
Group B was played at Estadio Agustín Tovar in Barinas.


2020 Venezuelan Primera División season, Torneo de Normalización, Third place play-off
The winner qualified for the Copa Libertadores second stage, while the loser qualified for the first stage of said competition.


2020 Venezuelan Primera División season, Torneo de Normalización, Final
The final was a single match at a neutral venue, played on 15 December 2020. The winners were crowned as the league champions.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election
Parliamentary elections were held in Venezuela on 6 December 2020. Aside from the 167 deputies of the National Assembly who are eligible to be re-elected, the new National Electoral Council president announced that the assembly would increase by 110 seats, for a total of 277 deputies to be elected.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election
The opposition parties that make up the Democratic Unity Roundtable coalition agreed unanimously not to participate in the election, stating the reason as irregularities and their complaints during the planning of the process and arguing that it was likely the election would be fraudulent. Twenty-seven political parties signed the agreement, including the four largest opposition parties Popular Will, Justice First, Democratic Action and A New Era.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election
The opposition criticized the appointment of the members of the National Electoral Council by the Supreme Tribunal, stating that it is under the purview of the National Assembly, and at least seven political parties had their board of directors suspended or replaced by the pro-government Supreme Tribunal of Justice, including Popular Will, Justice First, Democratic Action, and Copei, as well as left-wing political parties, including Tupamaro, Fatherland for All, and Red Flag. Opposition politicians Henrique Capriles and Stalin González initially encouraged participation in the elections. They later withdrew and demanded better electoral conditions.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election
The Lima Group, the International Contact Group, the European Union and the United States rejected holding parliamentary elections in 2020, insisting in the necessity of holding elections "with free and fair conditions." The International Contact Group, headed by Uruguay, stated the formation of the Electoral Council "undermines the credibility of the next electoral process." The Organization of American States (OAS) stated the appointment of the Electoral Council was "illegal", rejecting it, and further stated that independent bodies are needed for "transparent, free and fair" elections to take place in the country.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election
In July, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, headed by Michelle Bachelet, said that "the recent decisions of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice diminish the possibility to build conditions for democratic and credible electoral processes" and "appoint new National Electoral Council rectors without the consensus of all the political forces."


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background
Since the 1999 Constituent Assembly elections, the National Assembly was dominated by alliances supportive of President Hugo Chávez. In the 2005 parliamentary elections, most opposition parties decided to withdraw, resulting in all seats being won by the Fifth Republic Movement and other parties supportive of Chávez. For the 2010 elections, an alliance of opposition parties was formed by the Democratic Unity Roundtable to contest the elections, and managed to win 64 seats. The PSUV, which was an alliance formed by Chávez from the Fifth Republic Movement and a number of smaller parties, won 96 seats, maintaining their majority, but lost their two-thirds and three-fifths supermajority. Fatherland for All, a small left-wing party, won two seats.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background
After Chávez's death in 2013, his hand-picked successor Maduro was narrowly elected president, continuing Chávez' ideological influence. In the 2015 parliamentary elections, the Democratic Unity Roundtable alliance gained a supermajority of 112 seats against 55 won by the GPP. In terms of popular vote, the MUD received 7.7 million votes, an increase of 2.4 million from the 2010 elections, becoming the most voted party in Venezuelan electoral history. The result was a decisive defeat for the PSUV and its wider alliance (GPP), which lost control of the Assembly for the first time since 1999.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background
In the midst of the ongoing constitutional crisis, a different body, the Constituent Assembly, was elected in 2017, with the intent of re-writing the Venezuelan Constitution. From that point forward, the two legislatures have operated in parallel, with the National Assembly forming the primary opposition to president Nicolás Maduro, and with the Constituent Assembly being his primary supporters. As of May 2019, the Constituent Assembly mandate is expected to expire on 31 December 2020, a measure that replaces the previous resolution of August 2017 that established its validity for at least two years.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background
In February 2018, Nicolás Maduro proposed holding the parliamentary elections alongside the presidential elections scheduled between April and May of that year. However, the proposal was later rejected by the National Electoral Council, which stated that holding both elections together would be too complicated. A year later, Maduro announced support, which was proposed by the Constituent Assembly, for an early election within 2019. During a speech at a pro-government rally celebrating the 20th anniversary of the revolution led by former President Hugo Chávez, He stated: "They [the opposition] want to bring forward elections, let's have elections."


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background
In November 2019, Juan Guaidó and Stalin González, along with former rector of the National Electoral Council, Vicente Díaz, declared that the election would not solve the nationwide crisis. Guaidó said that the opposition would not participate in any discussion that did not contribute to the solution of the crisis.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background
On 7 March 2020 there was a fire in the National Electoral Council warehouses in Filas de Mariche, Caracas. Tibisay Lucena, president of the Council, announced the loss of 582 computers, 49 408 voting machines, 400 electronic ballots, 22 434 power inverters, 49 323 fingerprint scanners and 127 ballots that were due to be withdrawn. Andrés Caleca, former rector of the Electoral Council, assured that hardware-wise the Electoral Council "was in zero", and that the electoral infrastructure, the machines and fingerprint scanners, as well as the operative capacity to program the machines were lost in the fire.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background
In mid-2020, the opposition politicians Henrique Capriles and Stalin González encouraged participation in the elections. As a response, Juan Guaidó created a "unitary pact" along with the leaders of thirty-seven political parties, reaffirming to not participate in the elections and to summon a referendum in Venezuela. After meeting with Guaidó, the leader of the political party Vente Venezuela, María Corina Machado, rejected the proposal of a referendum, criticizing the incapacity of Guaidó to depose Maduro from power and stressing the importance of a military option. Elliott Abrams, the United States Special Representative for Venezuela, described María Corina's proposal as "surrealist". Capriles and González later withdrew from the electoral process to pressure better electoral conditions.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background
In September 2020, Maduro announced that military officers would look after voters in their homes to vote as part as a "biosecurity plan", and rejected the possibility of postponing the elections.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, Supreme Tribunal of Justice chooses new Electoral Council
In October 2019, the National Assembly approved to start the appointment of the postulations committee of the new members of the National Electoral Council (CNE). In May 2020, the Committee of Electoral Candidacies, in charge of appointing a new National Electoral Council of Venezuela (CNE), announced that it would suspend its meetings because of the pandemic.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, Supreme Tribunal of Justice chooses new Electoral Council
The Supreme Tribunal of Justice (TSJ), loyal to Nicolás Maduro, declared in June that the National Assembly had not named rectors for the CNE. The opposition denounced it as attempt to obstruct the procedure for the elections.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, Supreme Tribunal of Justice chooses new Electoral Council
The TSJ decided on 12 June 2020 to name the electoral board that would oversee the parliamentary elections. Indira Alfonzo was declared as the new chief of the CNE through Facebook. Members of the National Assembly argue that the TSJ is not authorized to choose the board, according to the Venezuelan constitution. The Vice-President of the National Assembly, Juan Pablo Guanipa, declared “As Venezuelans we make our demand to the world for a free vote!”, calling Maduro's government a dictatorship. Juan Guaidó posted on Twitter "We haven’t given up our rights. They’ve got the game locked up and they’ve already started hanging up their phones. Don’t be fooled by their distractions.” According to Associated Press, moderate opponents of Maduro administration, trying to reach an agreement to create free elections, found the TSJ decision "disheartening".


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, Supreme Tribunal of Justice chooses new Electoral Council
Luis Vicente León from the Venezuelan poll firm Datanálisis, said that the TSJ selected two members from outside the United Socialist Party of Venezuela, in order to give the appearance of balance, but that this ultimately does not change anything, as the TSJ acted unilaterally, outside any political negotiation. León said “This will not generate any confidence that the opposition parties participated or lead to mass participation in an election. It only adds a brushstroke of opposition participation to a biased elections commission, amplifying the country’s division without solving the problem.”


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, Suspension of political parties directives
On 27 August 2019, the Supreme Court of Justice suspended the board of directors of the Copei to appoint a board of directors chaired by Miguel Salazar. Previously, the National Social Christian Assembly elected Mercedes Malavé on March 27, 2019.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, Suspension of political parties directives
In May, Tarek William Saab, the Attorney General appointed by the National Constituent Assembly, requested that the Supreme Tribunal of Justice declare Popular Will as a "terrorist organization," which would lead to the prohibition of the party. Popular Will rejected said accusations.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, Suspension of political parties directives
On 15 June, the Supreme Tribunal suspended the directive board of Democratic Action to appoint a new one presided by José Bernabé Gutiérrez, days after his brother José Luis Gutiérrez was appointed by the high court as rector of the National Electoral Council. The former was expelled from the party the following day.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, Suspension of political parties directives
On 17 June, the Supreme Tribunal proceeded to take the same measure with the Justice First party and appointed an ad hoc directive board presided by José Brito, who would be responsible for the appointment of the rest of the positions of Justice First, as well as the regional, municipal and local authorities.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, Suspension of political parties directives
On 7 July, the Supreme Tribunal also suspended the directive board of Popular Will, becoming the third political organization judicially intervened in the last month, appointing an ad hoc directive board presided by José Gregorio Noriega, previously expelled from the party. The high court sentenced that Noriega "could use the electoral card, logo, symbols, emblems, colors and any other own concept" of the party and suspended the expulsions of both Noriega as Guillermo Luces and Lucila Pacheco, members of the new board.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, Suspension of political parties directives
On 20 July, the Supreme Tribunal suspended the directive board of Republican Movement and appointed an ad hoc directive board presided by Manuel Rivas. The ad hoc board of directors of the party may use the electoral card, logo, symbols, emblems, colors and any other concept of the party.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, Suspension of political parties directives
On 18 August, the Supreme Tribunal additionally intervened in the far-left party Tupamaro, giving the party directive to an ad hoc board to use the seats, name, electoral card, symbols and electoral emblems of the party. The intervention took place after the party announced an electoral alliance without the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV). On 21 August, the Supreme Tribunal did the same with the left-wing party Fatherland for All, which also announced an electoral alliance without the PSUV; the high court also intervened in the Red Flag and Compromiso País parties, handing over the party to an ad hoc board.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, Suspension of political parties directives
After Henrique Capriles encouraged participation in the elections, the Supreme Tribunal reverted the intervention of the Justice First party, stripping the directive board from José Brito. Justice First ratified after the sentence that they would not participate in the elections.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, Violence
On 10 August, colectivos took over with sticks, bottles and tear gas the two main seats in Caracas - in La Florida and in El Paraíso. At least four journalists were injured during the events.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, Violence
After the Communist Party of Venezuela (PCV) announced their separation from the pro-government coalition Great Patriotic Pole, along with other parties such as Fatherland for All, and a new platform named "Revolutionary Popular Alternative," the PCV denounced the presence of Bolivarian Intelligence Service officials in their headquarters in Puerto Cabello, in Carabobo.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, Opposition boycott
The opposition parties that make up the opposition coalition Democratic Unity Roundtable agreed unanimously to not participate in the election, citing irregularities complaints during the planning of the process and arguing that it was likely they would be fraudulent. Twenty-seven political parties signed the agreement, including the four largest opposition parties Popular Will, Justice First, Democratic Action and A New Era.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, Opposition boycott
The parties that signed the document were: Acción Democrática, Alianza del Lápiz, Aprisal, Bandera Roja, Camina, Copei. Cuentas Claras, Encuentro Ciudadano, Fuerza Liberal, GuajiraVen, Izquierda Democrática, La Causa R, Moverse, Movimiento Republicano, NUVIPA, Parlinve, Movimiento por Venezuela, PDUPL, Primero Justicia, Proyecto Venezuela, Sociedad, Un Nuevo Tiempo, Unidad NOE, Unidos Para Venezuela, Vanguardia Popular, Voluntad Popular and Unidad Política Popular 89.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, International position
The Lima Group, the International Contact Group, the European Union and the United States rejected holding parliamentary elections in 2020 "without free or fair conditions."


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, International position
In a joint statement, the members of the Lima Group declared that they rejected and disavowed the appointment of the National Electoral Council members by the Supreme Tribunal of Justice, defining it as "illegal" and arguing that it "openly infringes the Venezuelan constitution and undermines the minimal necessary conditions for any electoral process and of the return of democracy in Venezuela."


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, International position
The International Contact Group, headed by Uruguay, lamented the renovation of the Electoral Council that "undermines the credibility of the next electoral process." The public declarations was agreed by Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Panama, the United Kingdom, the European Union and seven of its member states: France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, International position
The Organization of American States (OAS) rejected the "illegal" appointment of the Electoral Council and reminded that independent bodies are needed for "transparent, free and fair" elections to take place in the country.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, International position
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, headed by Michelle Bachelet, indicated that "the recent decisions of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice diminish the possibility to build conditions for democratic and credible electoral processes" and "appoint new National Electoral Council rectors without the consensus of all the political forces and interfere in the internal organization of two of the main opposition political parties."


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, International position
The OAS Secretary General, Luis Almagro, and former Spanish Prime Minister Felipe González, condemned the violent takeover of the Democratic Action seats in Caracas.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, International position
In September, the European Union rejected Nicolás Maduro's invitation to send an observer mission to the electoral process, stressing that the ruling party had not met the "minimal conditions" for the process to be considered "credible and transparent".


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, International position, Sanctions
The United States sanctioned Alfonzo and three others on 4 September 2020, accusing them of facilitating the illegitimate Maduro regime’s efforts to undermine the independence and democratic order of Venezuela. According to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, he said that "the corrupt Maduro regime is attempting to seize control of the National Assembly of Venezuela through a fraudulent election.” Alfonzo was already sanctioned by the Canadian government in May 2018, following the recent presidential election considered by Canada and part of the international community as "not free or fair."


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, Complaints
As of May 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, electoral organizations such as the Venezuelan Electoral Observatory and the Education Assembly Electoral Observation Network, assured that there were many obstacles in Venezuela left to surpass before an electoral process takes place by December 2020, including conditions, technological problems and a lack of agreement between political factions, saying that having the elections in 2020 did not appear feasible.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, Complaints
The former governor of the Kariña indigenous tribe, Wilson Espinoza, and member of the Guajira Rights Committee, José Marín, have protested against the Special Rules for the Election of Indigenous Deputies to the National Assembly (Spanish: Reglamento Especial para la Elección de los Diputados Indígenas a la Asamblea Nacional published on 24 July by the Electoral Council, arguing that it removed the direct vote to the indigenous minority, that it drastically reduced the indigenous representation in the National Assembly for the next elections and that it imposes a second degree vote to the group.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, Complaints
On 26 July, in a public statement, Espinoza declared that the rules were redacted and published without consulting the electoral directory, without considering the suggestions and proposals of indigenous groups and warned that the thirty days term established by the rules for the process of community assemblies, spokespeople choice, general assemblies and vote by rising hand of the deputies that will represent them in the National Assembly is unreal and impossible to accomplish, as well as being a COVID-19 high contagion risk.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, Complaints
In July, the electoral non-governmental organizations Súmate and Voto Joven denounced that the biosecurity measures during the Electoral Registry update and registration process were deficient, including little or no equipment disinfection, such as fingerprint scanners or pens; incorrect use of face masks, lack of gloves and the social distancing non-compliance.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, Complaints
On 29 July, a group of former authorities of the extinct Supreme Electoral Council submitted an appeal to the Supreme Tribunal to ask for the suspension of the new changes approved by the Electoral Council. The requesters were Andrés Caleca, Eduardo Roche Lander, Ildemaro Martínez, Rafael Lander y Egleé González Lobato. Another group of former authorities of the National Electoral Council, jurists, politicians and experts submitted an appeal to the Supreme Tribunal asking for the suspension of the process, asking for time to organize it in a "reasonable and honorable" manner. The initiative was accompanied by the recollection of at least 8 000 signatures in the next few days.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Background, Complaints
On September, civil society organizations started the "Venezuela Documenta" (Venezuela Documents) platform to support citizens in the "reports and registries of incidents and patterns linked to the weakening of democracy, human rights, political participation and electoral processes in the country." The initiate is made of the Citizen Electoral Network, the Justice and Peace Center (Cepaz), the Communication and Democracy Global Observatory, Sinergy, Dale Letra and Diálogo Social.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Campaign
In late October, the chief commander of Los Andes region, mayor general Ovidio Delgado Ramírez announced "a campaign to deliver firewood to the population".


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Campaign
During the final campaign, Diosdado Cabello declared: "He who does not vote, does not eat. For the one that does not vote there is no food. A quarantine is applied there." National Assembly deputy Delsa Solórzano announced that she would send the declaration to International Criminal Court. Cabello later declared that his statement was taken out of context, saying that "I said in Bolívar that if someone does not vote, the woman should tell the man that she will not give him food".


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Electoral system
Venezuela uses a parallel voting system, with 144 seats to be chosen by closed list proportional representation allocated using the d'Hondt method, and 133 seats to be chosen by first-past-the-post voting in 87 geographical constituencies.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Electoral system
By decision of the National Electoral Council, Venezuela's electoral system replaced the international observation figure by a "convenient accompaniment".


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Electoral system
On 5 June, the Supreme Tribunal "disapplied" Articles 14, 15, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179, 180, 181, 182 and 186 of the Organic Law of Electoral Processes and modified the indigenous circumscription special mechanism.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Electoral system, Seats number
On 30 June, National Electoral Council president, Indira Alfonzo, announced the increase of the National Assembly by 110 seats more, for a total of 277 deputies. The move was interpreted as an attempt by Maduro  to pack the assembly with supporters.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Electoral system, Indigenous representation
Among the Electoral Law articles that will stop to be apply are the ones related to the conditions, requirements and ways in which the indigenous representatives will be elected for parliament. According to the Electoral Council, the disapplication has the objective to "reinvidicte the indigenous communities traditions, uses and practices."


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Electoral system, Indigenous representation
The new Electoral Council normative establishes a completely new electoral system, in which the personal and direct vote is replaced by a delegate system that will vote in the name of the indigenous communities, eliminating the first grade vote that has existed in previous electoral processes, with the exception of the 1999 Venezuelan Constituent Assembly election.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Electoral system, Indigenous representation
The Electoral Council established that the indigenous communities must organize in a body it called "community assemblies", which will meet and work pursuant to the schedule established by the Electoral Council. The meetings must also have the presence of an "electoral coordination agent" appointed by the Electoral Council that will be responsible for the documentation produced in the assemblies.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Electoral system, Indigenous representation
The community assemblies have to choose for a yet undetermined number of spokespeople, which in turn will go to general assemblies in which they will proceed to choose their respective indigenous deputies, according to their region, representing their community in a second grade vote. The vote will take place on election day and with the presence of indigenous applicant organizations witnesses that assist to the act and the electoral coordinator appointed by the Electoral Council.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Electoral system, Indigenous representation
The vote will be done "rising hands" and the votes will be reflected in an act that will afterwards be sent to the Regional Electoral Board and the Regional Electoral Office of the respective entity. The National Council will proceed to count every received acts; the candidate that receives the majority of the votes of the spokespeople will be elected as deputy.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Electoral system, Indigenous representation
The normative violates Articles 3 (vote personalization) and 16 (nominal vote right) of the Electoral Law, as well as Articles 5 (sovereignty exercised indirectly through the vote) and 63 (universal, direct and secret vote, and guaranty of vote personalization) of the constitution. The changes made by the Electoral Council also violate Article 298 of the constitution, which forbids modifying the Electoral Processes Law in the six months prior to the election. According to constitutionalist lawyer Juan Manuel Raffalli, the changes are illegal because they do not offer a direct and secret election as enshrined in the constitution.


2020 Venezuelan parliamentary election, Results
Amid a boycott by a majority of the opposition, the PSUV-led Great Patriotic Pole alliance won a supermajority of seats. Turnout was around 30.5%.


2020 Venezuelan protests
The 2020 Venezuelan protests were mass demonstrations against food shortages, medicine and fuel shortages and the Crisis in Venezuela. Police has used Tear gas, Rubber bullets and Live ammunition to quell the mass uprising and strike movement, killing 6 altogether.


2020 Venezuelan protests, Protests
Protests erupted in March as a continuation of protests against president Nicolas Maduro (resume of the 2019 Venezuelan protests) which left 4 dead. In April, riots occurred in at least 100 cities and towns nationwide against food shortages, calling for better conditions and an end to the escalating political crisis. Protesters marched in the largest protest movement on 24 April.


2020 Venezuelan protests, Protests
Protesters rallied in late-May for 2 days, striking against the government's handling of the Coronavirus pandemic and calling on an end to shortages of food, fuel and medicine. Rioting broke out in the next few hours. Police fired Tear gas to quell the first wave of demonstrations, but police presence was scarce during the second wave of popular protests prompted by even further tensions, violence, killings, crisis and shortages.


2020 Venezuelan protests, Protests
4 days of daily protests gained momentum and widespread unrest continued throughout 105+ areas in the country. Thousands participated in protests against late service deliveries and called on a solution to end the electricity, fuel and gas shortages. The wave of demonstrations and protests is the biggest since March. 2 have been killed during the second wave of demonstrations.


2020 Venice municipal election
A Municipal election was held in Venice, Italy, on 20 and 21 September. It was originally scheduled to take place on May 31, 2020, but it was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic in Italy.


2020 Venice municipal election, Electoral system
The voting system is used for all mayoral elections in Italy, in the cities with a population higher than 15,000 inhabitants. Under this system, voters express a direct choice for the mayor or an indirect choice voting for the party of the candidate's coalition. If no candidate receives 50% of votes during the first round, the top two candidates go to a second round after two weeks. The winning candidate obtains a majority bonus equal to 60% of seats.


2020 Venice municipal election, Electoral system
During the first round, if no candidate gets more than 50% of votes but a coalition of lists gets the majority of 50% of votes or if the mayor is elected in the first round but its coalition gets less than 40% of the valid votes, the majority bonus cannot be assigned to the coalition of the winning mayor candidate.


2020 Venice municipal election, Electoral system
The election of the City Council is based on a direct choice for the candidate with a maximum of two preferential votes, each for a different gender, belonging to the same party list: the candidate with the majority of the preferences is elected. The number of the seats for each party is determined proportionally, using D'Hondt seat allocation. Only coalitions with more than 3% of votes are eligible to get any seats.


2020 Venice municipal election, Parties and candidates
This is a list of the parties (and their respective leaders) which will participate in the election.


2020 Vermont Democratic presidential primary
The 2020 Vermont Democratic presidential primary took place in Vermont, United States, on March 3, 2020, as one of 14 contests scheduled on Super Tuesday in the Democratic Party primaries for the 2020 presidential election, following the South Carolina primary the weekend before. The Vermont primary was an open primary, with the state awarding 23 delegates towards the 2020 Democratic National Convention, of which 16 are pledged delegates allocated on the basis of the results of the primary.


2020 Vermont Democratic presidential primary
The Associated Press declared Bernie Sanders the winner of the Vermont primary. Whilst Sanders had won over 85% of the vote four years previously, his underperformance in his home state in 2020 allowed former Vice President Joe Biden to garner 5 delegates alongside his second-place finish, adding to the narrative of Biden's surge in the primaries.


2020 Vermont Democratic presidential primary
Sanders had served as the junior Senator from Vermont since 2007.


2020 Vermont Democratic presidential primary, Procedure
Vermont was one of 14 states holding primaries on Super Tuesday.


2020 Vermont Democratic presidential primary, Procedure
Early voting began on January 18, 2020, and took six days a week between then and election day.


2020 Vermont Democratic presidential primary, Procedure
Regular voting took place throughout the state from 5:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. in much of the state, with some precincts closing as late as 10:00 p.m. In the open primary, candidates needed to meet a threshold of 15 percent in order to be considered viable. The 16 pledged delegates to the 2020 Democratic National Convention were allocated proportionally on the basis of the results of the primary. Of the 16 pledged delegates, 11 were allocated on the basis of the statewide result (by definition coterminous with the state's sole congressional district) and another 2 were allocated to party leaders and elected officials (PLEO delegates), in addition to 3 at-large pledged delegates.


2020 Vermont Democratic presidential primary, Procedure
After town caucuses on Tuesday, April 7, 2020 to designate delegates for the state convention, the state convention will be held on Saturday, May 30, 2020 to nominate national convention district delegates, who in turn elect the 3 pledged at-large and 2 PLEO delegates to send to the Democratic National Convention at the national convention delegate meeting on June 13, 2020.


2020 Vermont Democratic presidential primary, Procedure
The 16 pledged delegates Vermont sends to the national convention will be joined by 7 unpledged PLEO delegates who are also selected at the national convention delegate meeting (4 members of the Democratic National Committee; 2 members of Congress, including Senator Patrick Leahy and U.S. Representatives Peter Welch; and former DNC chair Howard Dean).


2020 Vermont Democratic presidential primary, Candidates
The following people have filed and qualified to be on the ballot in Vermont.


2020 Vermont House of Representatives election
The 2020 Vermont House of Representatives elections took place as part of the biennial United States elections. Vermont voters elected all 150 state representatives from 104 districts, with each district electing between one and two representatives. State representatives serve two-year terms in the Vermont House of Representatives. A primary election on August 11, 2020 determined which candidates appeared on the November 3 general election ballot. All the members elected will serve in the Vermont General Assembly.


2020 Vermont House of Representatives election, Retiring incumbents
19 incumbent Representatives (13 Democrats, 3 Republicans and 3 Progressives) did not seek reelection in 2020.


2020 Vermont House of Representatives election, Defeated incumbents, In the primary
Two incumbent representatives (both Democrats) sought reelection but were defeated in the August 11 primary.


2020 Vermont House of Representatives election, Defeated incumbents, In the general election
Eight incumbent representatives (5 Democrats, 1 Republican, 1 Progressive and 1 Independent) sought reelection but were defeated in the November 3 general election


2020 Vermont House of Representatives election, Detailed results, Windsor 2
Democratic nominee Daniel Boyer withdrew before the general election and was replaced by John Arrison.


2020 Vermont Republican presidential primary
The 2020 Vermont Republican presidential primary took place on March 3, 2020, as one of 14 contests scheduled for Super Tuesday in the Republican Party primaries for the 2020 presidential election.


2020 Vermont Republican presidential primary, Results
Bill Weld's 10% share of the vote was his best performance of any state.


2020 Vermont Senate election
The 2020 Vermont Senate elections took place as part of the biennial United States elections. Vermont voters elected all 30 state senators from 13 districts, with each district electing between one and six senators. State senators serve two-year terms in the Vermont Senate. A primary election on August 11, 2020 determined which candidates appeared on the November 3 general election ballot. All the members elected will serve in the Vermont General Assembly.


2020 Vermont Senate election, Retiring incumbents
Three incumbent senators (two Democrats and one Republican) did not seek reelection.


2020 Vermont Senate election, Defeated incumbents, In the primary
No incumbent senator was defeated in the August 11 primary.


2020 Vermont Senate election, Defeated incumbents, In the general election
One incumbent senator sought reelection but was defeated in the general election.


2020 Vermont elections
A general election was held in the U.S. state of Vermont on November 3, 2020. All of Vermont's executive officers will be up for election as well as Vermont's at-large seat in the United States House of Representatives. Primary elections were held on August 11, 2020.


2020 Vermont elections, Governor
The incumbent governor is Republican Phil Scott. He beat Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman in the general election.


2020 Vermont elections, Lieutenant Governor
Incumbent Progressive/Democratic Lieutenant Governor Dave Zuckerman (since 2017) declined to run for a third term, and instead ran for governor.


2020 Vermont elections, Lieutenant Governor, Progressive primary
Incumbent Progressive lieutenant governor David Zuckerman is not running for a third term.


2020 Vermont elections, Auditor, Republican primary
No candidates filed for the Republican primary. Doug Hoffer won the nomination via write-in.


2020 Vermont elections, Auditor, Progressive primary
Incumbent Democratic/Progressive Auditor Doug Hoffer also ran in the Progressive primary. Perennial candidate Cris Ericson ran for the Progressive nomination for auditor, as well as several other statewide offices.


2020 Vermont elections, Auditor, General election, Candidates
(*Hoffer won the Democratic and Republican nominations. Ericson, who is not a member of the Progressive Party, won the primary election, however the Progressive state committee endorsed Hoffer for reelection. Hoffer had previously been nominated by both the Democratic and Progressive Parties in elections from 2010 to 2018.)


2020 Vermont elections, State Legislature
All 30 seats in the Vermont Senate and all 150 seats of the Vermont House of Representatives were up for election. The balance of political power remained the same in each chamber with Democrats having large majorities in both, however Republicans made very small gains in both chambers. While those gains were small, they allowed Republicans to break the Democrat/Progressive supermajority in the state house. This could potentially lead to any veto from Governor Phil Scott being upheld under these new circumstances.


2020 Vermont elections, County offices
Some county level offices will be up for election. The balance of political power before and after the elections for each office was:


2020 Vermont gubernatorial election
The 2020 Vermont gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the Governor of Vermont. As Vermont does not impose term limits upon its governors, incumbent Republican Governor Phil Scott was eligible to run for reelection to a third two-year term in office. On November 18, 2019, he confirmed that he was running for reelection, but did not yet publicly announce his campaign. On May 28, 2020, he officially announced his candidacy but stated that he would not campaign, maintain a campaign staff, or fundraise because of the state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Vermont. The primary was held on August 11. Scott won re-election to a third term, defeating Progressive and Democratic nominee, Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman. Scott's 41% victory margin was the largest in the state's gubernatorial election since 1996, and the largest for a Republican candidate since 1950.


2020 Vermont gubernatorial election, Progressive Party
Leaders within the Progressive Party endorsed David Zuckerman for the gubernatorial election, advocating for Zuckerman to be elected with write-in voters. The party has stated that if Cris Ericson won the primary, "they would likely issue a 'non-endorsement.'" On election night the progressive nomination was listed as too close to call. Zuckerman was confirmed to have won the nomination a few days later when the final write-in vote count was confirmed.


2020 Vet Tix/Camping World 200
The 2020 Vet Tix/Camping World 200 was a NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race held on June 6, 2020, at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Georgia. Contested over 136 laps due to an overtime finish on the 1.54-mile-long (2.48 km) asphalt quad-oval intermediate speedway, it was the fourth race of the 2020 NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series season. Grant Enfinger, driving for ThorSport Racing, won the race, his 2nd win this season. Johnny Sauter was going to be awarded a third place finish, but after a tire violation, he was disqualified to a dead last finish.


2020 Vet Tix/Camping World 200, Qualifying
For qualifying, drivers will line up based on last year's owner points.


2020 Vidarbha floods
2020 Vidarbha Floods were a series of flooding events that occurred in the Vidarbha region of Indian State of Maharashtra in 2020. The floods affected the districts of Nagpur, Bhandara, Chandrapur, Gadchiroli and Gondia. Over 92,000 people were affected in the region.


2020 Vidarbha floods, Cause
The flooding was cased due to excess rainfall at the catchment area of the rivers of Wainganga basin, in the neighbouring state of Madhya Pradesh,  forced authorities to open the gates of Chaurai dam in Chhindwara district. On August 28 Central Water commission had released a flood warning. for the region  On August 28 and 29, the rivers Pench, Kanhan, Bagh and Wainganga and their numerous tributaries were in their full fury. So were the dams Sanjay Sagar and Gosekhurd (on river Wainganga), Chaurai (on Machchagora), Totladoh-Pench (on Pench), Rajeev Sagar (on Bawanthadi), the Upper Wardha dam (on Wardha) and three reservoirs on river Bagh.


2020 Vidarbha floods, Aftermath
Over 53,000 people were evacuated by eleven rescue and relief teams including the National Disaster response force (NDRF) and  State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the Indian Army. 88,864 hectares of farmland in 34 talukas of Nagpur division were affected due to floods, while 23,000 houses have also been damaged.


2020 Vienna attack
The 2020 Vienna attack was a series of shootings that occurred on 2 November 2020 in Vienna, Austria. A few hours before the city was to enter a lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a lone gunman started shooting in the busy city centre. Four civilians were killed in the attack and 23 others were injured, seven critically, including a police officer. The attacker was killed by police and was later identified as an ISIL sympathizer. Officials said that the attack was an incident of Islamist terrorism.


2020 Vienna attack, Attack
The attack began on 2 November 2020 around 20:00 in Vienna, Austria, when a man started shooting at people in six locations: Seitenstettengasse, Morzinplatz, Salzgries, Fleischmarkt, Bauernmarkt, and Graben. The attacker was armed with a rifle, a handgun, and a machete and was wearing a fake explosive belt. The attack ended when the gunman was shot dead by police at 20:09 near St. Rupert's Church.


2020 Vienna attack, Attack
The shooting took place four hours before the midnight start of a nationwide lockdown as new COVID-19 restrictions were due to come into force in Austria, including a 20:00 to 06:00 curfew. Crowds in bars and restaurants were enjoying a last evening out before the lockdown began.


2020 Vienna attack, Casualties
Four people were killed by the attacker: they were a 39-year-old Austrian man, a 24-year-old German woman, a 44-year-old Austrian woman, and a 21-year-old Austrian Muslim man originally from North Macedonia. The attacker was also shot dead by the police at the scene.


2020 Vienna attack, Casualties
Twenty-three other people were wounded with gunshot and stab wounds; thirteen citizens from Austria, four from Germany, two from Slovakia, and one each from Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, China, and Luxembourg. Seven suffered life-threatening injuries. Among the wounded was a 28-year-old police officer who was shot and critically injured while responding to the attack. The wounded officer and an elderly woman were saved by a Palestinian and two Turkish-Austrian men, who carried them away from the attacker to ambulances. After confronting the attacker, one of the Turkish-Austrians was shot and wounded. The three men were praised for their actions.


2020 Vienna attack, Investigation
Videos of the shooting surfaced, including one of the attacker shooting a civilian first with a rifle and then up close with a handgun. The police asked that witnesses not post videos and photographs on social media, but rather submit them to the authorities. As a result, the police received a large number of videos from the public following the attack, and an investigation team examined them for evidence.


2020 Vienna attack, Investigation
On the morning of 3 November, searches of apartments linked with the perpetrator took place, and in his home they found a stockpile of ammunition. Austrian authorities said at 01:00 that at least one gunman remained on the run, but that afternoon Nehammer said there was no indication of additional attackers. Officials stated that the attack was an act of Islamic terrorism.


2020 Vienna attack, Investigation
ISIL claimed responsibility for the attack a day later, calling the attacker a "soldier of the caliphate" and posting one of his photos with guns and a knife, and released a video of the attacker pledging allegiance to the leader of ISIL, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi. It was not clear, however, whether ISIL helped plan the attack; the group has a track record of claiming responsibility for lone wolf attacks.


2020 Vienna attack, Perpetrator
The perpetrator was identified as 20-year-old Kujtim Fejzullai. He was born in Mödling, a town south of Vienna, in 2000, where he grew up, and lived in the town of Sankt Pölten, 53 kilometres (33 mi) west of Vienna. He was a dual citizen of Austria and North Macedonia of Albanian ethnic origin and was known to the Austrian Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism.


2020 Vienna attack, Perpetrator
He had been sentenced to 22 months imprisonment in April 2019, after he tried to cross the Turkish border into Syria to join ISIL; however, he was paroled in December 2019, eight months into the sentence. He was one of around 90 Austrian Islamists who have tried to reach Syria. An Austrian official said that investigators believed that he had worshipped at a mosque that Austrian intelligence services suspected of promulgating extremism. Fejzullai had previously taken part in a deradicalization programme run by the DERAD association.


2020 Vienna attack, Perpetrator
Die Zeit reported that Fejzullai was known to Slovakian police in Bratislava, who had reportedly hindered his purchase of ammunition and reported this to Austrian authorities. Weapons and ammunition with Slovakian identification numbers have been used in several terrorist attacks in the past.


2020 Vienna attack, Perpetrator
Hours before the attack, Fejzullai had pledged allegiance to ISIL in Arabic in an Instagram post, using the name Abu Dujana al-Albani. In the post he held an assault rifle, handgun, and machete across his chest.


2020 Vienna attack, Aftermath
A large police deployment took place in Vienna right after the attack, and members of EKO Cobra and WEGA were brought in to hunt for the perpetrators. Vienna police said that special forces entered the gunman's apartment using explosives, and a search of its surroundings was underway on 3 November. The Austrian Federal Army was deployed to secure buildings in Vienna. Roadblocks were set up around the city center. Enhanced checks were instituted at the nearby Czech border.


2020 Vienna attack, Aftermath
After a few hours, people were evacuated from nearby restaurants, bars, the Vienna State Opera, and the Burgtheater. The Viennese police asked pedestrians to avoid open spaces and public transport in the area, and then halted all trams and subways in central Vienna and asked people to shelter in place.


2020 Vienna attack, Aftermath
All synagogues, Jewish schools, institutions of the Jewish Community of Vienna, and kosher restaurants and supermarkets were closed the following day as a precaution after concerns were raised that the main synagogue had been the target. Although soon after the attack it became clear that the target had been the general population, not the synagogue, which had been closed and empty at the time.


2020 Vienna attack, Aftermath
On 6 November, authorities decided that two mosques in Ottakring (German: Melit-Ibrahim-Moschee) and Meidling (German: Tewhid-Moschee) would be closed because "a positive attitude towards society and state" as a legal precondition was not fulfilled by the mosques. The mosques had reportedly contributed to the radicalization of the attacker and they were reportedly frequented by him and other Islamists. The Melit-Ibrahim-Moschee had previously reportedly been frequented by Islamist Mohamed M. and an Islamic State supporter who was subsequently jailed.


2020 Vienna attack, Aftermath
On 11 November, the Islamic cemetery in Wien-Liesing on the outskirts of Vienna refused to allow the attacker to be buried there, as did another Muslim cemetery in Austria.


2020 Viennese state election
The 2020 Viennese state election was held on 11 October 2020 to elect the members of the Gemeinderat and Landtag of Vienna. The outgoing government was a coalition of the Social Democratic Party (SPÖ) and The Greens.


2020 Viennese state election
The SPÖ remained comfortably in first place with small gains. Conversely, the previously second-placed Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) suffered a catastrophic defeat, losing 80% of its votes compared to 2015 and becoming the smallest party in the legislature. The Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) moved into second place after more than doubling its vote share. The Greens recorded their best result to date, just under 15%. NEOS – The New Austria (NEOS) moved into fourth place with minor gains. Team HC Strache fell short of the 5% electoral threshold to enter the Gemeinderat and Landtag.


2020 Viennese state election
On 27 October, Mayor and Governor Michael Ludwig announced that the SPÖ would seek a coalition with NEOS. Negotiations were successful and the parties presented their coalition pact on 17 November. Ludwig was re-elected as Mayor by the Gemeinderat and Landtag on 24 November, and the new government was sworn in the same day.


2020 Viennese state election, Background
The Viennese constitution mandates that cabinet positions in the city government (city councillors, German: Stadträte) be allocated between parties proportionally in accordance with the share of votes won by each; this is known as Proporz. The number of city councillors is voted upon by the Landtag after each election, and may legally vary between nine and fifteen. City councillors are divided into two groups – "senior" councillors, who hold a cabinet portfolio, and "non-executive" councillors who do not. Non -executive councillors may vote in cabinet meetings, but do not otherwise hold any government responsibility. In practice, parties seek to form a coalition which holds a majority in both the Landtag and city government. City councillors bound to the coalition become senior councillors, while the opposition are relegated to non-executive status.


2020 Viennese state election, Background
In the 2015 state election, the SPÖ and ÖVP both suffered losses, with the former recording its worst result since 1996 and the latter its worst ever. This came to the benefit of the FPÖ, which achieved its best ever result, and NEOS, which entered the Landtag for the first time. The SPÖ won seven councillors, the FPÖ four, the Greens one, and the ÖVP one. The SPÖ renewed its coalition with the Greens.


2020 Viennese state election, Background
In August 2017, Mayor and Governor Michael Häupl announced his impending retirement. He had served since 1994. He did not seek re-election as head of the Vienna SPÖ in January 2018, and was succeeded by long-serving city councillor Michael Ludwig. Häupl resigned as Mayor and Governor on 24 May 2018, and Ludwig was subsequently elected as his replacement by the Gemeinderat and Landtag. He was sworn in on 29 May.


2020 Viennese state election, Background
The Ibiza affair in May 2019 led to the resignation of Vice-Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache and a general decline in support for the FPÖ nationally, which was seen in the 2019 federal election and subsequent state elections in Vorarlberg, Styria, and Burgenland. Strache resigned from all political offices in November 2019, but in early 2020 announced he would join The Alliance for Austria to run in the Viennese state election. The party subsequently adopted the name Team HC Strache – Alliance for Austria.


2020 Viennese state election, Electoral system
The 100 seats of the Gemeinderat and Landtag of Vienna are elected via open list proportional representation in a two-step process. The seats are distributed between eighteen multi-member constituencies. For parties to receive any representation in the Landtag, they must either win at least one seat in a constituency directly, or clear a 5 percent state-wide electoral threshold. Seats are distributed in constituencies according to the modified Hare quota, with any remaining seats allocated at the state level to create a greater degree of proportionality between a party's vote share and its share of seats.


2020 Viennese state election, Electoral system
After the 2015 election, a minor reform to the electoral system was passed, changing the formula for distribution of seats in constituencies. The new formula increases the number of votes required to win a seat in a constituency, resulting in fewer seats being distributed to parties through constituencies and more distributed on the state level. This reform was seen as beneficial to minor parties, which are unlikely to win more than a few seats in constituencies, and must rely on state-level distribution for most of their representation.


2020 Viennese state election, Election statistics
A total of 1,133,010 people were eligible to vote in the state election, among them 597,027 women and 535,983 men. Only Austrian citizens aged 16 or older on election day were eligible. For the district council elections held on the same day, a total of 1,362,789 voters were eligible; this number is higher than for the state election as EU citizens aged over 16 are eligible to vote in municipal elections. Among this number were 712,131 women and 650,658 men.


2020 Viennese state election, Election statistics
A total of 1,494 polling stations were set up on election day. As many as 500,000 absentee/postal ballots were expected to be issued for the election. Requesting a postal ballot in person was permitted from 14 September, with the option to cast the vote early in-person right after requesting it at Vienna's various election offices.


2020 Viennese state election, Election statistics
On 9 October, the City of Vienna announced that a final total of 382,214 absentee/postal ballots were issued for the election, of which 360,563 were issued to Austrian citizens for the Gemeinderat and Landtag election and an additional 21,651 to EU citizens who are eligible to vote only in the district elections. This set a new record for Vienna, topping the 266,150 voting cards issued in Vienna for the 2019 Austrian legislative election.


2020 Viennese state election, Contesting parties
The table below lists parties represented in the previous Landtag.


2020 Viennese state election, Contesting parties
In addition to the parties already represented in the Landtag, seven parties collected enough signatures to be placed on the ballot.


2020 Viennese state election, Results, Analysis
The FPÖ only won one-fifth as many votes as it had in 2015; analysis by SORA indicated that 100,000 people who gave their vote to the FPÖ in 2015 did not vote in 2020. The party lost 43,000 votes to the ÖVP, 32,000 to the SPÖ, and 17,000 to Team HC. Overall, the FPÖ gained less than 1,000 votes from other parties compared to 2015.


2020 Viennese state election, Results, Analysis
Polling indicated that federal politics was a major factor among the majority of voters of almost all parties, including 74% of ÖVP voters, and 56–57% of Green, NEOS, and FPÖ voters. By contrast, only 36% of SPÖ voters stated that federal politics was a major factor in their choice.


2020 Viennese state election, Results, Analysis
Analysis by SORA indicated strong voting trends in different age groups, with the SPÖ and ÖVP strongest among older voters, and the Greens and NEOS stronger among younger voters. In contrast to the overall trend, the ÖVP improved its performance only negligibly among voters under 29, winning just 7%. The FPÖ crashed from 25% to 5%, with the difference made up by gains for the Greens (27%) and minor parties (12%). The Greens also placed second among 30-44 year olds at 19% to the ÖVP's 17%, while NEOS and the FPÖ recorded their best results among this demographic at 11% and 9%, respectively.


2020 Viennese state election, Results, Analysis
According to analysis published by the OGM Institute, 20% of voters of Turkish immigrant background voted for Social Austria of the Future (SÖZ), making it the second-most popular party among this demographic. SÖZ, a minor party representing immigrant interests, won just 1.2% of the vote overall. The SPÖ also performed better among Turkish immigrants than the overall electorate, with all other parties performing worse, particularly the ÖVP (10%) and Greens (9%). Voters of Serbian immigrant background voted moderately more strongly for the SPÖ, FPÖ, and Team HC than the general electorate.


2020 Viennese state election, Aftermath
Greens leader Birgit Hebein stated the result was a "very clear mandate" for a renewal of the incumbent SPÖ–Green government. NEOS lead candidate Christoph Wiederkehr expressed his party's desire to join the state government, naming increased funding for education, economic relief, transparency, and a focus on the city's peripheral regions as conditions for a coalition.


2020 Viennese state election, Aftermath
FPÖ lead candidate Dominik Nepp described the loss as "painful", but attributed it to residue from the Ibiza affair. He stated he would have to analyse the full result before considering whether he would resign as regional party leader. Nepp and federal leader Norbert Hofer later confirmed they would each retain their positions despite the disastrous defeat. Heinz-Christian Strache blamed the FPÖ for his new party's failure to enter the Gemeinderat and Landtag, accusing them of "heartlessly causing the split".


2020 Viennese state election, Aftermath
Political scientist Thomas Hofer stated that an SPÖ–ÖVP government was unlikely due to potential conflict with the federal government, which makes it unfavourable for the ÖVP. He also believed the SPÖ were unlikely to cede the finance ministry to Gernot Blümel, which would be a major stumbling block. Fellow political scientist Kathrin Stainer-Hämmerle described a potential SPÖ–NEOS government as a "counter-model" to the federal ÖVP–Green government, offering the public an alternative.


2020 Viennese state election, Aftermath
Concurring with commentary from the Kurier, she also believed that the result weakened the position of federal SPÖ leader Pamela Rendi-Wagner while confirming the strength of the party's popular state governors Ludwig, Hans Peter Doskozil, and Peter Kaiser. She questioned the FPÖ's choice to downplay the consequences of the result, speculating that the party may be privately considering a change in leadership on both the state and federal level.


2020 Viennese state election, Aftermath, Government formation
Mayor Michael Ludwig declined to commit to negotiations with any particular party, stating he was open to negotiations with all except the FPÖ. Mathematically, the SPÖ could form a majority with any one of the other parties. Ludwig stated that social cohesion and good cooperation are the "basic premise" for any coalition, and that he wanted talks to begin quickly.


2020 Viennese state election, Aftermath, Government formation
Alexander Nikolai and Ernst Nevrivy, chairmen of the local SPÖ in Leopoldstadt and Donaustadt, voiced their support for an SPÖ–NEOS government. They criticised the conduct of the Greens during the previous term, claiming they had diverged from the coalition agreement, and expressed their belief that the SPÖ could cooperate well with NEOS. By contrast, former mayor Michael Häupl spoke out in favour of a renewed coalition with the Greens, stating that NEOS diverged too much from the SPÖ on economic policy to work together effectively. He also stated that the ÖVP, since their "turquoise" turn, had moved too far from the SPÖ to be viable partners in government.


2020 Viennese state election, Aftermath, Government formation
Exploratory talks with NEOS, the Greens, and the ÖVP were held from 19 to 21 October. Ludwig stated his desire to have a coalition agreement in place by mid-November. He elaborated on his party's policy positions going into negotiations, rejecting the possibility of privatizing healthcare or withdrawing housing subsidies. NEOS leader Wiederkehr and Greens leader Hebein both described their respective talks as productive, and were optimistic about prospects of entering government with the SPÖ.


2020 Viennese state election, Aftermath, Government formation
ÖVP leader Blümel stated discussions were "constructive" but that there were "differences" between the two parties, especially in policy areas such as minimum wage, pensions, and the ÖVP's demand that knowledge of the German language be required for access to public housing. After this, commentators speculated that chances of an SPÖ–ÖVP coalition were very low, while the Greens and NEOS were both considered equally viable options.


2020 Viennese state election, Aftermath, Government formation
On 27 October, Ludwig announced that the SPÖ would seek coalition negotiations with NEOS. He stated that priority areas would be responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, expanding the healthcare sector, strengthening business, improving education, and combating climate change. Explaining his decision, he said that while the Greens and SPÖ's policy was similar, they placed emphasis on different areas. He expressed that while he was satisfied with the accomplishments of the SPÖ–Green government, "the time seems ripe to try something new."


2020 Viennese state election, Aftermath, Government formation
He stated that the vote in the SPÖ presidium was unanimous, while only two members of the party executive voted against. NEOS leader Wiederkehr welcomed the announcement, stating his focus on improving education, job creation, and addressing the pandemic. He expressed his hope for a "reform coalition" between the two parties.


2020 Viennese state election, Aftermath, Government formation
Greens leader Hebein voiced her disappointment and her concerns that a government with NEOS could take conservative positions on the health system and climate change. The Viennese ÖVP stated that the decision was predictable, as a coalition with NEOS was "the most convenient route with the weakest partner". They claimed that the SPÖ had been inflexible and unwilling to compromise during exploratory talks. FPÖ leader Nepp accused the other parties of playing a game of "who can offer less", and claimed his party would be the only serious opposition force in the next legislative period.


2020 Viennese state election, Aftermath, Government formation
The Viennese branch of the Socialist Youth spoke out against going into government with NEOS, with chairwoman Fiona Herzog describing the decision as "madness". She criticised NEOS's record on trade unions and endorsed coalition with the Greens, stating they have "always proved to be a good coalition partner." She stated that she was one of the two members of the party executive to vote against the coalition, with the other vote against coming from a representative of SPÖ's student branch.


2020 Viennese state election, Aftermath, Government formation
The bulk of negotiations concluded by 12 November, with the parties agreeing on various policy areas. The coalition agreement was finalised and presented on 17 November.


2020 Viennese state election, Aftermath, Government formation
Ludwig was re-elected as Mayor by the Gemeinderat and Landtag on 24 November, receiving 60 votes. This figure accounted for the 54 seats of the new governing coalition plus six votes from the opposition. Ludwig and his new government was sworn in shortly thereafter. NEOS leader Wiederkehr, the sole city councillor for his party, became Vice Mayor and councillor for education.


2020 Viennese state election, Aftermath, City councillors
The composition of the city councillors after the election are as follows:


2020 Vietnamese Cup
The 2020 Vietnamese National Cup (known as the Bamboo Airways National Cup for sponsorship reasons) season is the 28th edition of the Vietnamese Cup, the football knockout competition of Vietnam organized by the Vietnam Football Federation.


2020 Vietnamese National Football Second League
The 2020 Vietnamese National Football Second League is the 22nd season of the Vietnamese National Football Second League. The season began on 10 July.


2020 Vietnamese National Football Second League, Teams
15 sides compete in the 2020 season, split into two groups, A and B, of 7 and 8 respectively.


2020 Vietnamese National Football Second League, League tables, Ranking of last-placed teams
Due to the difference of teams between the 2 groups, results of the matches between the last-placed team in group B and the group B winners will not be counted.


2020 Vietnamese National Football Second League, Final stage, Semi-finals
Winners are awarded as co-champions and promoted to the 2021 V.League 2. Losers enter the promotion final match.


2020 Vietnamese National Football Second League, Final stage, Promotion final
Winners are awarded as third-placers and promoted to the 2021 V.League 2.


2020 Vietnamese National U-19 Football Championship
The 2020 Vietnamese National U-19 Football Championship is split into five groups with the 5 group winners will advance to the second phase of the campaign along with the three best runners-up.


2020 Vietnamese National U-19 Football Championship, Teams
A total of 26 teams will participate in the 2020 season with only players born between 1 January 2001 and 1 January 2004 are eligible for participation.


2020 Vietnamese National U-19 Football Championship, First phase
The 26 teams were drawn into 4 groups of 5 teams (Groups B–E) with Group A having 6 teams, Each team in their respective groups will play each other twice. Eight teams will then progress to the second phase of the competition.


2020 Vietnamese Women's Football Championship
The 2020 Vietnamese Women's Football Championship (referred to as the Thai Son Bac Cup for sponsorship reasons) was the 23rd season of Vietnamese Women's Football Championship, Vietnam's professional women's football league. The season began on 22 September 2020 and finished on 13 December 2020. Defending champions Ho Chi Minh City I won their 9th title, while picking up their first ever domestic double.


2020 Vietnamese Women's Football Championship
The season was set to start in August but was postponed due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.


2020 Vietnamese Women's Football Championship, Season statistics, Hat-tricks
4 Player scored 4 goals 5 Player scored 5 goals


2020 Vijayawada fire
On 9 August 2020, a major fire broke out in early morning hours (around 5am IST) at a COVID-19 facility located at the Hotel Swarna Palace in the city of Vijayawada, in the state of Andhra Pradesh. The fire blaze killed 11 people and wounded a further 22. The hotel was used as a temporary COVID-19 facility as it was leased out by the private hospital Ramesh Hospitals Vijayawada for the purpose of treating infected COVID-19 patients. An electrical short circuit was described as the ultimate reason for the incident. The fire had been brought under control by the firefighters within a space of 30 minutes. The patients who survived from the fire blaze were transferred to another quarantine centre.