The government's four-day signature drive came a week before Venezuela's opposition holds its own four-day petition drive to demand a recall vote against Chavez.
The government's recall effort against 37 of the 165 lawmakers is seen as a bid to strengthen Chavez's hold on Congress. To hold a recall referendum against the legislators, the government needs to obtain enough signatures to equal 20 percent of the vote that got each legislator elected.
Vice President Jose Vicente Rangel said the turnout was massive for the drive, which ended Monday. Officials results, however, will not be released for weeks, and opposition lawmakers rejected Rangel's claim.
Venezuela's Constitution allows for recalls halfway through an elected official's term - that was August for Chavez.
Opponents accuse Chavez of attempting to establish a dictatorial regime inspired by Cuba's Fidel Castro, mismanaging the economy and dividing this mostly poor country of 24 million along class lines.
Chavez accuses adversaries of trying to grab power to regain lost privileges rather than to improve living conditions for the poor majority. [end]