Digital ID is not your voting card; GECOM ID still required

The new digital ID card cannot be used to vote in Guyana’s elections.

Data Protection Commissioner Aneal Giddings made this clear in an interview with News Room, stressing that the digital ID system does not replace the GECOM-issued identification card.

“This card is not intended… to replace GECOM’s ID card,” he said.

Giddings explained that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is a constitutional body with responsibility for voter registration and elections, governed by separate laws.

The GECOM ID card is tied directly to the National Register of Registrants, which is used to generate voters’ lists.

While a voter can still cast a ballot without presenting an ID card, having the GECOM-issued card makes the process faster and more efficient.

The digital ID card, on the other hand, is designed for general identification and service access, not elections.

“Coming to the Digital Identity Card Registry and getting a digital identity card will not enable you to vote,” Giddings stated.

Authorities are encouraging citizens to maintain both forms of identification, as they serve different purposes.