Caracas, Oct 23 (IANS): Venezuela's National Electoral Council (CNE) announced that the campaigning for the December 6 legislative elections will begin on November 3.

"The electoral campaign for the parliamentary elections will begin on November 3 and end on December 3," Xinhua news agency quoted the CNE as saying in a twete on Thursday.

During a meeting between representatives of the National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) and CNE leaders, Admiral-in-Chief Remigio Ceballos guaranteed the deployment of troops to voting stations during the elections.

The country will hold an electoral simulation on October 25 to refine the logistical, technological, and operational details for the elections.

More than 20 million Venezuelans will be eligible to cast their ballots on December 6 to elect the 167 deputies of the National Assembly, who will hold office between 2021 and 2026.

Last week, the CNE unveiled a new voting machine model, which will "offer a simple system that is easy for the voter to experience", reports Xinhua news agency.

According to CNE rector Carlos Quintero, it is "a modern machine with essential technical elements" that can be adapted to the electronic voting system used in Venezuela, offering "security and integrity in the protection of information".

Quintero added that the new voting machine was "designed in Venezuela by Venezuelan technicians" in order to "avoid dependence on providers", and includes new voting software that will "guarantee, above all, the secrecy of the vote".