Electors will be required to clean fingers before dipping in ink on E-Day – GECOM

As part of efforts to maintain the integrity of the electoral process, voters will be required to properly clean their fingers before dipping them in ink after casting their ballots – a practice used to confirm that a person has already voted.

This measure was outlined by Chief Elections Officer Vishnu Persaud, who explained that some electors attempt to make the ink easier to remove by applying oil or cream to their hands beforehand.

While assuring that the ink being used is of high quality and designed for long-lasting durability, Persaud noted that additional precautions are being implemented. “We are taking steps to ensure we have tissue at every polling station to ask electors to clean their fingers before they put it in the ink,” he told reporters during a press conference on Monday.

“The manufacturers and suppliers have given assurance that it is not possible to remove the ink easily, unless something was deliberately applied to the finger beforehand,” he added.

The use of ink serves as a safeguard to ensure that no individual is able to vote more than once.

Another measure to protect the integrity of the process is the use of a folio containing coloured photographs of registered voters – step aimed at preventing voter impersonation

“That folio will not only be in our staff possession, every agent sitting at that polling station will have a folio,” Persaud noted.

In explaining the process that will unfold on Election Day – September 1 – the CEO outlined that when a voter enters a polling place, s/he must identify themselves by presenting their national identification card, Guyanese passport or drivers licence.

“That will be followed by the presiding officer ascertaining whether in fact this is the person who is listed in the OLE (Official List of Elector) at that polling station to vote,” Persaud noted.

As such, he affirmed that it would be virtually impossible for any voter to cast a ballot more than once, unless there is deliberate collusion.