Party agents cannot stop voting when dissatisfied – GECOM CEO clarifies

Chief Elections Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Vishnu Persaud, has made it clear that political party representatives have no power to suspend or stop the operations of a polling station.

Persaud’s firm reminder came during a press conference on Monday, following an incident on August 22 when A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) agent Carol Smith-Joseph disrupted voting by members of the Disciplined Services.

A video circulated on social media showed Smith-Joseph declaring, “Voting will stop because I will not allow the voting to take place because it is my interest and my party’s interest…” Her objections centred on the positioning of the voting compartments, which she claimed prevented her from monitoring whether voters were using cellphones inside the booths.

Smith-Joseph, who is currently facing charges in relation to the 2020 general elections, argued that the layout limited her ability to properly scrutinise the process.

But the CEO was unambiguous in response. “The operations of polling stations are GECOM’s responsibility, not that of any political stakeholder. No stakeholder has any authority to stop the operations of a polling station,” he stated.

The Commission has already moved to address one of the concerns raised—cell phone use inside polling booths. A complete ban has been instituted to safeguard the secrecy of the ballot and prevent vote-selling schemes linked to photographing ballots.

Clear signage will be displayed at polling stations, and voters will be asked to switch off their phones before entering. Designated tables will also be provided for voters to leave their devices while casting ballots.

Despite these measures, photos of ballots from the Disciplined Services vote surfaced online. Persaud confirmed that GECOM had seen the images but could not verify when, where, or how they were taken. He noted that any observed violations would be recorded by polling staff and referred to the police after the elections.

Persaud acknowledged feedback that some voting compartments were not optimally positioned, limiting visibility for accredited agents while still ensuring voter privacy. He assured that pictorial guidelines will now be issued to standardise how compartments are arranged nationwide.

“This is the first time such a measure has been implemented, so it is a testing ground for us,” the CEO explained, adding that lessons from the Disciplined Services vote will help improve arrangements for the September 1 General and Regional Elections.

Deputy Returning Officers, he said, will be tasked with enforcing the rules on election day, ensuring that the ban on phones and the proper set-up of compartments are upheld.

Reiterating his position, Persaud stressed that while party agents have a role in observing, the final authority over polling stations rests solely with GECOM.