Image of ballot on social media raises concern about procedures; parties report relatively smooth polling

Last Updated on Saturday, 23 August 2025, 1:13 by Writer

At least one image purportedly of a ballot showing how a member of the Disciplined Services voted on Friday has surfaced on social media, even as A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) forced the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to ensure that voting compartments are positioned to allow party agents to see that no pictures or cameras were being used.

The posting of that ballot on Facebook was done, although GECOM banned the use of cellphones in polling stations amid concerns of vote-selling which is punishable by a fine and imprisonment. A senior GECOM official told Demerara Waves Online News that he has only received one such report.

APNU Chief Scrutineer, Carol Smith-Joseph was seen at a polling station expressing concern that the compartment was not properly positioned and so voting should have ceased once the rules handed down by the Chief Election Officer Vishnu Persaud were not followed. “No, you should not have allowed them to continue; that’s the law,” she told party representatives and GECOM officials at a polling station.

Ms Smith-Joseph said the compartment must be set in such a manner to allow polling agents to see that no other instrument was being used. “GECOM made that rule; not me and you must ensure that it happens,” she said.

Speaking with reporters subsequently at the Police Officers’ Mess Annexe, the opposition APNU Chairman and presidential candidate Aubrey Norton said his party spoke to the Chief Election Officer requesting that the position be changed and “he’s changing it”. He said APNU party representatives were also informing polling officials that the position of the compartments need to be changed. “Once you have the box like that, you can still find other means of irregularities and, as we pursue free and fair elections, we want to see this done properly,” he said.

Mr Norton, who is also leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), urged his party representatives at polling stations not to allow balloting if the compartments are not located in a manner that would allow everyone to see that voters were not taking pictures. “We’re saying to our agents (that) they should not encourage any voting if they cannot see the person in the box – it is done in a way that you can’t see where they’re marking their X but you must see the person so that you know the right thing is happening,” he said.

The PNCR-APNU leader earlier on Friday had sought to withdraw accreditation for a number of representatives but that has since been rectified. He said APNU had agents at all balloting stations.

Alliance For Change (AFC) candidate, David Patterson told Demerara Waves Online News briefly on Friday morning that the pace of voting appeared slower than expected. “The process seemed to be going OK but a bit slow,” he said. He said most of the polling day staff appeared inexperienced and, in one instance, the Presiding Officer was seen doubling up on tasks because there were four rather than seven GECOM officials. He expressed caution over the staff shortage repeating on September 1 when the rest of the electorate votes. “While the police may be a bit more disciplined than the general public, if that trend continues on election day, then that should be problematic.”

The incumbent People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) presidential candidate Irfaan Ali, during his visit to the Police Officers’ Mess Annexe on Friday morning, said he was satisfied with the voting process “From what I’ve seen, it’s a very smooth process, a very efficient process,” he told reporters.

The presidential candidate for We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), Azruddin Mohamed said “the process is moving along well” after he observed voting by police at Eve Leary. At that time, he said WIN did not receive reports about the start of balloting at other locations across Guyana.

Leader of the Forward Guyana Movement, Amanza Walton-Desir, during her visit to St Stanislaus College where police were voting, said a number voters reported that the “process was smooth and went without hiccup” but there were concerns that a number of ballots were not stamped.

Demerara Waves Online News observed that a voter took an average of four minutes to complete the entire process from confirmation of identity to voting.