7 ▁took ▁from ▁ 9 ▁am ▁until ▁ 2 ▁am ▁the ▁next ▁day ▁to ▁reach ▁a ▁conclusion , ▁ultimately ▁dec iding ▁to ▁launch ▁Ch á vez ' ▁candid acy . ▁Some ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁movement ▁res igned ▁in ▁protest , ▁holding ▁too ▁much ▁at ▁st ake . ▁In ▁July ▁ 1 9 9 7 ▁Ch á vez ▁registered ▁the ▁new ▁Fif th ▁Republic ▁Mov ement ▁with ▁the ▁National ▁Elect oral ▁Council ▁( the ▁name ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁changed ▁as ▁Venez uel an ▁law ▁did ▁not ▁permit ▁parties ▁to ▁use ▁Sim ón ▁Bol í var ' s ▁name ). ▁The ▁international ▁media ▁took ▁little ▁interest , ▁cit ing ▁opinion ▁pol ls ▁showing ▁ 8 % ▁support ▁for ▁Ch á vez . ▁ ▁Elect oral ▁process ▁The ▁ 1 9 9 8 ▁elections ▁were ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁be ▁carried ▁out ▁with ▁a ▁non - part isan ▁National ▁Elect oral ▁Council . ▁Trad itionally ▁poll ▁workers ▁had ▁been ▁provided ▁by ▁the ▁parties , ▁but ▁in ▁this ▁election ▁" a ▁lot tery ▁was ▁set ▁up ▁to ▁draft ▁ 3 0 0 , 0 0 0 ▁registered ▁vot ers ▁as ▁poll ▁workers ". ▁The ▁elections ▁also ▁saw ▁" the ▁world ' s ▁first ▁autom ated ▁voting ▁system , ▁which ▁featured ▁a ▁single ▁integrated ▁electronic ▁network ▁that ▁was ▁supposed ▁to ▁transmit ▁the ▁results ▁from ▁the ▁pol ling ▁stations ▁to ▁central ▁headquarters ▁within ▁minutes ." ▁Wh ilst ▁Venezuela ▁had ▁tradition ally ▁provided ▁election ▁obser vers ▁to ▁other ▁Latin ▁American ▁countries , ▁the ▁uncertainty ▁of ▁the ▁new ▁system ▁and ▁the ▁possibility