Despite widespread calls for electoral reform in the wake of the contentious 2020 General and Regional Elections (GRE), the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has failed to take meaningful action to implement recommendations that could resolve long-standing issues in the country’s voter registration process.
The official voter list for the 2020 elections included 660,998 names, a number that raised concerns due to its disproportionate size compared to Guyana’s estimated population of 785,000. As at January 2025, the list has 738, 484 names.
Leading up to the 2020 GRE, GECOM admitted that the list contained the names of deceased individuals and those no longer residing in the country, a problem the commission has been unable to address adequately. The only current method for removing such names from the list is through limited constitutional provisions, such as for death or election-related offenses, or during the annual claims and objections period.
In a bid to resolve these issues, GECOM launched a House-to-House Registration exercise in July 2019, aiming to create a new National Register of Registrants Database (NRRDB). However, this process was abruptly halted in August 2019 after acting Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire S.C, ruled that residency was not required for voter registration, and that names of individuals not captured during the house-to-house process could not be removed unless they met the legal requirements outlined in the National Registration Act.
While GECOM, in 2020, acknowledged the challenges it faced in addressing voter list inaccuracies, the failure to implement any substantial reforms since then has left the system vulnerable to manipulation and inefficiencies.
The Organisation of American States (OAS), which monitored the 2020 elections, made several key recommendations aimed at addressing these systemic issues. These included comprehensive reforms to the voter registration system, the introduction of necessary legislative changes to allow for the modification of voter lists, and the facilitation of complaints regarding voter inclusion and exclusion. The OAS also recommended periodic House-to-House registration exercises to ensure the accuracy of the list and reduce the number of names that require verification ahead of future elections.
However, five years after these recommendations were made, GECOM has made no progress in implementing any of these critical changes. The failure to address these issues has sparked growing frustration within the Guyanese public, who continue to call for a more transparent and secure electoral system.
One of the most pressing calls for reform from the society is the incorporation of biometric technology into the voter registration process. Biometrics, including fingerprint, iris and facial recognition, is seen as a crucial safeguard to ensure the authenticity of voters and prevent voter impersonation.
The push for biometrics has gained momentum in the wake of the controversies surrounding the 2020 elections, when allegations of electoral fraud and irregularities undermined the credibility of the process.
Many observers argue that the failure to adopt biometric voter identification is indicative of GECOM’s reluctance to address potential vulnerabilities in the electoral system. The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government and GECOM have consistently resisted calls to introduce biometric technology, citing concerns over technical readiness, cost, and logistics. However, critics argue that these excuses are unfounded, especially given the successful implementation of biometric systems in other countries, including India, Ghana, Jamaica.
Experts and civil society organisations have repeatedly warned that unless these reforms are enacted, the integrity of future elections in Guyana will continue to be undermined by a bloated and inaccurate voter list. GECOM’s inaction has raised questions about its commitment to improving the electoral process and ensuring that elections are free, fair, and reflective of the will of the people.
The urgency of implementing these reforms has never been clearer. Yet, with GECOM’s continued failure to act, it remains to be seen whether the country’s electoral system will ever be fully reformed to meet the needs of a modern democracy.
Excerpt from Organisation of American States’ Report
The OAS expressly stated that “In order to assist in resolving this issue, the Mission recommends: –
“-Comprehensive reform of the voter registration system, along with the necessary legislative authorisations for registration, changes to voter lists and submission of complaints about the exclusion or inclusion of voters.
“- Undertaking a House-to-House registration exercise at the earliest opportunity upon completion of the election and periodically thereafter. – Voters who are at least eighteen (18) years old and who qualify to be placed on the OLE for the first time should be identified during the continuous registration process. This would significantly reduce the numbers of persons in this category to be verified as part of any reregistration exercise leading up to an election.”
For more on the OAS’ Report read here
