This publication has been reliably informed that members of Guyana’s Disciplined Services are facing pressure to provide proof they voted for the People’s Progressive Party (PPP). Officers were allegedly instructed to photograph their ballots inside polling stations, an act that directly violates the Guyana Elections Commission’s (GECOM) ban on cellphone use during voting.
This directive, sources say, was part of a broader strategy involving financial incentives or promises of promotion in exchange for votes. Officers were reportedly required to submit photographic evidence of their ballots to confirm their support for the PPP, severely undermining the principle of secret voting enshrined in Guyana’s electoral laws.
The use of cellphones in voting booths and photographing one’s ballot is strictly prohibited. According to the Representation of the People Act, Cap. 1:03, this offense is associated with vote selling—a serious electoral violation. Penalties include:
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A fine of G$65,000
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Up to six (6) months’ imprisonment upon summary conviction
The People’s Progressive Party has a known reputation for demanding photographic proof of ballots in exchange for payment, contracts, or other rewards. Conversely, voters who fail to provide such evidence are often excluded from these benefits.
In one recent case, a member of the Disciplined Services is believed to have taken a photo of their ballot. From the image, seen below, distinctive identifying features such as hand size, a mole on the second finger, and the tablecloth on the table are visible. These details could potentially aid in identifying the individual and further confirm the breach.
In response to mounting political pressure, to ban cellphone from the booths, GECOM last week announced stricter measures aimed at safeguarding ballot secrecy. These include clearly marked cellphone drop-off areas and prominent signage prohibiting mobile devices inside voting booths.
Prohibition No. 8 on GECOM’s official poster titled ‘Prohibition of the use of Cell Phones by Voters in Polling Station’, signed by Chief Election Officer Vishnu Persaud, directs polling staff to:
“Make a note of any voter observed taking a photograph of his/her ballot paper which will be used later to make a formal report to the Guyana Police Force for investigation.”
However, critics argue these measures came too late.
Prominent voices have denounced GECOM’s initial policy allowing phones in voting booths. Veteran trade unionist Lincoln Lewis condemned it as “reckless” and “an attack on the very foundation of our democracy,” warning that ballot secrecy, hard-won by labour leaders like Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow, is now under serious threat.
Similarly, jurist Roysdale Forde S.C. called the move a “reckless decision” that “jeopardises these core tenets,” stating: “A phone is not merely a device but a camera, a recorder, and a potential instrument of coercion.”
Opposition Commissioner Vincent Alexander echoed these sentiments, highlighting the risk of vote-selling: “There is a rumour that people are being paid … they take a picture to show to the party as proof of how they voted.”
In a further attempt to sidestep the protections of ballot secrecy, the PPP, allegedly as a further measure, encouraged voters to use a red cup as a signal of where or how they voted. This tactic, flaunted on the Party’s Facebook page with the caption “Thank You!!!!!!” and blood-red imagery, has drawn further scrutiny.
Guyanese are now calling on local and international election observer missions to closely monitor and document these troubling developments. With multiple efforts seemingly underway to breach ballot secrecy, public trust in the electoral process is once again at stake.
