GEORGETOWN, GUYANA – With just two weeks before Guyana’s September 1 General and Regional Elections, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has confirmed that it has finalized all arrangements for advance voting by the disciplined services and overseas electors.
Deputy Chief Election Officer Aneal Giddings reported that 10,481 members of the security forces are eligible to cast ballots on August 22, including 6,909 from the Police Force, 3,106 from the Defence Force, and 466 from the Prison Service.
He noted that ballots and supplies have been packaged for 83 voting locations nationwide, to be serviced by 67 ballot boxes. Some of those boxes will be airlifted into remote communities through a “hopscotch” system to guarantee access for all personnel.
On overseas voting, Giddings confirmed that 92 ballots were dispatched to 20 diplomatic missions, including those in Barbados, Brazil, Canada, China, India, South Africa, Suriname, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Trinidad and Tobago. He said two missions have already returned sealed ballot boxes under the custody of the Chief Election Officer, with political party agents witnessing the process. GECOM’s Chief Election Officer Vishnu Persaud assured that all logistical preparations are complete and that only “force majeure” could prevent the advance polls from taking place.
He stressed that ballot security remains a top priority, pointing to safeguards such as ID verification, photographic folios, and the use of indelible ink to guard against multiple voting.“Operationally, we are solidly ready,” Persaud declared, underscoring the Commission’s confidence in conducting the advance polls smoothly.
