Under the leadership of GECOM Chairperson, retired Justice Claudette Singh, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has come under fire for not addressing longstanding concerns about the integrity of the voters’ list, despite repeated recommendations from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the European Union (EU) and other observers mission to the 2020 General and Regional Elections (GRE)
In the wake of the 2020 GRE, Recount Exercise the CARICOM Election Observer Mission urged GECOM to undertake a complete re-registration of voters, citing serious concerns over the bloated voter registry. “It is clear that given the state of the voter registration of the country, Guyana was not adequately prepared for the 2020 poll,” the CARICOM team stated. “It therefore behooves the Commission to create a new voter registry, especially given the suspicion that the 2020 register was bloated, a suspicion which is not without merit.”
The Voters List used in the 2020 elections stood at approximately 660,000, representing roughly 85% of Guyana’s population at the time. However, this was under scrutiny, with questions raised over the accuracy and reliability of the register.
In its 2020 Observation Report, the EU also called for GECOM to overhaul the voter registration process, recommending a “thorough update” of the decade-old register. The report highlighted the need for inclusive consultations, political consensus, and greater access to registration offices, both geographically and in terms of registration periods.
Despite these recommendations, GECOM has made no significant progress in addressing these concerns. Instead, the Preliminary Voters List (PLE) released in July/August 2022, showed an alarming increase to 684,354 voters, which represented over 91% of the total population. By January 2025, the PLE had further ballooned to 738,484 names, representing approximately 98% of Guyana’s population, which is estimated to be between 750,000 and 780,000, factoring in the country’s high rates of outward migration.
Critics argue that such a large voters’ list is both unwieldy and raises questions about the list’s accuracy. They also contend argued for biometrics to prevent voter fraud, which they say it even more important given the size of the Voters List. The lack of action on the part of GECOM to address these concerns has been a source of frustration for the opposition and civil society groups alike.
In the face of this, Chief Election Officer (CEO) Vishnu Persaud acknowledged the importance of biometric systems in reducing voter fraud and ensuring the credibility of the electoral process. However, instead of focusing on practical steps for implementation, Persaud spent more time discussing the potential challenges that could hinder the effectiveness and rollout of biometrics. Critics argue that while these challenges are important, GECOM should prioritise devising a strategy to overcome them rather than continuing to delay action on biometric voter registration and verification.
The failure to act on these recommendations, especially as the country heads into the next electoral cycle, has led to mounting calls for reform. With elections constitutionally due later this year, many have called for a delay in the process to ensure that biometric verification is implemented, which would help address concerns about voter fraud and the integrity of the election process.
