Guyana’s population is estimated at 750,000, with the number of eligible voters now standing at 738,484. However, the government’s refusal to release the 2022 National Census data has led to concerns that the population may have shrunk, or that the demographic traditionally supportive of the governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has been affected by outward migration.
The size of the voter roll has raised alarms, prompting calls from the opposition, civil society, and citizens for the introduction of biometrics at polling stations to ensure more credible and widely accepted results.
According to Demerara Waves, a senior official from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) confirmed that the latest figure, as of February 6, 2025, reflects the conclusion of the claims and objections period. The qualifying date for registration was December 31, 2024. The official numbers from this period revealed 4,255 applications for registration, 1,615 applications for transfer, 421 changes or corrections of particulars, and nine objections.
At the 2020 General Elections, the electoral roll stood at approximately 660,000. By mid-2024, this had swelled to 718,000 registered voters, and now, with the 2025 preliminary list, the total stands at 738,000.
Observers Mission of the 2020 elections had expressed concern about the size of the voter list, recommending reforms to ensure its accuracy. However, GECOM has yet to address these concerns, instead hiding behind a court ruling that declared amendments to the list unconstitutional. Rather than proposing a legislative change to make the voter list more reflective—and, at the very least, realistic—GECOM has not taken steps to amend the roll to eliminate discrepancies.
The Joint Opposition, including the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), Alliance for Change (AFC), and the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), issued a statement in November 2024 demanding the use of biometrics in the 2025 elections. When in opposition, PPP leader Bharrat Jagdeo had also called for reforms at GECOM, including a clean voter list and the introduction of biometric systems to curb multiple voting. However, despite these past demands, Jagdeo, now in government, has expressed confidence that GECOM will deliver free, fair, and credible elections without the proposed reforms.
The opposition and other stakeholders remain skeptical about GECOM’s ability to ensure a fair and transparent election process with the current state of the voter list. Calls for action on biometric voting and electoral reform continue to grow, as the 2025 elections draw near.
