Caracas, June 20 (RHC)-- Venezuela's National Electoral Council, or CNE, began the process on Monday of confirming the identities of 1.3 million people who allegedly signed a petition for a recall referendum against President Nicolas Maduro.

The opposition Democratic Unity Roundtable, or MUD, claims it has the signatures of 1.85 million voters backing a recall referendum.  However, the CNE said they delivered 1.97 million signatures and it has already invalidated 600,000.

Since the electoral body found what it called “a widespread fraud in the process,” voters who signed the petition will need to have their identities checked from today until Friday, June 24th.

The recall referendum is a constitutional right for Venezuelans and only 197,000 signatures are needed to begin the process, but in an effort to oust President Nicolas Maduro, the right-wing opposition has apparently put prisoners, minors and even dead people on their list.

A total of 128 regional electoral offices will be open over five days to confirm the identity of voters who have allegedly signed the petition.