Venezuelans await election results that will have ripple effects throughout Americas

Venezuela’s government is facing its toughest electoral test in decades.

The outcome will either lead to a seismic shift in politics or extend the policies that caused the world’s worst peacetime economic collapse by six more years.

Whether it is President Nicolás Maduro who is chosen, or his main opponent, former diplomat Edmundo González, the election will have ripple effects throughout the Americas.

Polls were expected to begin closing at 6 p.m., but two hours later Venezuela’s opposition is calling on authorities to close the polls and begin counting ballots. By law, polling centers can remain open if there are voters still in line.

Eleven years into Venezuela’s complex crisis, the days of food shortages are virtually gone, but with many earning under $200 a month, getting the essentials is a constant struggle for families in rural and urban areas alike.

People work second and third jobs, start little businesses, exchange services and gamble to scrape together the money, but still every decision seems to involve a calculator and a calendar.

That angst-provoking math is among the reasons why the ruling party’s hold on power looks vulnerable in today’s presidential election.