The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) started a continuous registration exercise on March 07 and 16 days later, the electoral body is reporting that it has managed to register a total of 12, 896 new persons with transactions totalling 17, 062.
GECOM’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) Yolanda Ward told the News Room on Wednesday that at the end of Tuesday, some 6, 620 persons who are 18 years and older (eligible voters) were registered.
Another 6, 276 persons between the ages of 14 to 17 have also been registered and will receive Identification Cards but will only be able to vote in elections until they attain the age of 18.
Ward said 683 persons applied for transfers which are usually done if there has been a change of address while 1, 997 persons have sought a change or correction to particulars, such as a name, on their ID cards.
In addition, 1, 194 persons have requested replacement cards while 291 persons have asked for a change in their ID photograph.
Ward said citizens are responding well to the exercise, which she believes will intensify as time progresses
The National Registration Act Chapter 19:08 stipulates that registration is a must and therefore it is expected that persons participate in the process.
Some $4.1 billion has been approved for GECOM this year to carry out its work.
Continuous registration is part of preparations for the holding of Local Government Elections (LGE) which were statutorily due in 2021 but differed to this year.
The continuous registration will run for three months until May 29 and will be followed by a period of claims and objections. The Commission expects to have in place an updated and acceptable voters’ list by the end of October 2022 which will pave the way for LGE to be run off before the end of the year.
This period allows persons, who will become 18 years old by the end of an identified period, before the elections to be registered.
Individuals who have had changes in their particulars, including addresses and names, can also utilise the period to make the necessary adjustments.
