Guyana Elections Commission votes against requiring cell phones to be lodged prior to voting

Subsequent to stating that all stakeholders have a statutory duty and civic responsibility to contribute to the September 1 general and regional elections being conducted in a free, fair, transparent, and credible manner, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has voted down a proposal requiring voters to surrender their mobile phones before casting their ballots.

Opposition parties have contended that some persons take photographs of their ballots before placing them in the box to ensure they are paid for voting in support of certain candidates.

However, while the Commission, at its meeting on Tuesday, maintained that taking a photograph of one’s ballot is illegal, it has opted not to implement the mandatory phone storage policy at polling stations.

“At GECOM, a decision has been taken not to have voters lodge their phones as a measure to ensure that they are not used to photograph their ballots. GECOM, however, agrees that the taking of such pictures is prohibited,” said opposition-nominated GECOM Commissioner Vincent Alexander.

He told reporters that he had submitted to the GECOM meeting that voters should not be allowed to enter the polling booth with their phones, as a means to protect the secrecy of the vote.

He said the Commission has evidence of previous instances where people took photos of their ballots and made their voting choice public on social media.

Alexander added that it also represents a deeper issue of vote-buying.

“My concern is that voters are being purchased, and that a condition precedent is that a person should take a picture to show that they did vote as promised before they are paid. Now, that is a form of coercion.

“That interferes with free, fair, and transparent elections, and therefore, if we don’t allow people to take their phones in, it significantly reduces that possibility. Unfortunately, the GECOM administration, the commissioners appointed by the government, as well as the chairperson, objected to that proposition,” Alexander said.

Media reports stated that GECOM Chair, retired Justice Claudette Singh, supported the position adopted by the government-nominated commissioners that voters’ phones should not be taken away before they enter the polling booth.

On Monday, in a statement, GECOM said it was taking the opportunity to ensure that the elections are conducted in a free, fair, transparent, and credible manner. It emphasized that it is an offence for any person, including the voter, to communicate at any time to anyone any information about the political party for which any voter has voted — either on his own behalf or as a proxy for another voter.

“Similarly, it is an offence for anyone to influence, by any means, a voter to display his ballot paper to make known the political party for whom he has voted on his own behalf or as a proxy.”

GECOM added that it is also an offence for any person, directly or indirectly, to offer money, gifts, and/or a loan to any voter in order to secure their vote.

“Any person who commits any of the above offences shall be liable, on summary conviction, to a fine and to imprisonment for six months,” GECOM stated, adding that “persons convicted for any of the above offences may also be prohibited from participating in future elections.”

GECOM said that a total of seven political parties have submitted their lists of candidates to contest the upcoming elections, which will be monitored by a number of national, regional, and international observers.

Incumbent President Irfaan Ali of the ruling People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) is seeking a second and final term. He is one of four candidates contesting the presidency in the upcoming elections.

The others are Aubrey Norton of the main coalition, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU); Nigel Hughes of the Alliance for Change (AFC); and Azruddin Mohamed of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) political party.

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