Public Relations Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Yolanda Ward tonight clarified a series of misinformation being spread – particularly on social media – relating to the conduct of the General and Regional Elections.
During GECOM’s first press conference for the day – hosted after the close of polls – Ward dispelled misinformation on the matter of Commonwealth citizens residing in Guyana being able to vote.
“Under the laws of Guyana, Commonwealth citizens who have been residing in Guyana for one year or more are eligible to vote,” Ward explained.
She noted that identification cards issued to these individuals reflect their legal residency status and are valid for electoral purposes.
These are provided for under the National Registration Act.
“The eligibility for registration is that you must be a Guyanese citizen by birth, descent, naturalization or citizen of a Commonwealth country living in Guyana for one year or more,” she explained.
Ward also clarified misinformation relating to the use of ID cards to vote and issues surrounding the position of the voting compartments.
She emphasised that eligible persons do not need ID cards to vote. “Persons without their ID card can still vote once their name is on the official list of electors, it is important to note that in such case, there is a procedure that must be followed…they must answer security questions and may be required to sign an oath” in keeping with the Representation of the People Act (ROPA).
On the issue of the voting compartment, the GECOM PRO emphasised that they must be placed in a manner to guarantee voter secrecy and where deviations were noted, presiding officers promptly addressed the situations.
Another concern was the appearance of the names of deceased persons of the voters’ list but Ward reiterated that names can only be removed when an official death certificate is presented to GECOM.
The GECOM PRO us urging members of the public to not pay heed to misleading information.
Knowingly spreading false information constitutes a serious offence – GPF
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