2025 elections: GECOM reminds employers of legal duty to grant time off for voting

With the General and Regional Elections slated for Monday, September 1, 2025, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is urging employers across the country to comply with laws that guarantee workers time off to cast their vote.
In a statement issued on Thursday, GECOM reminded employers that it is mandatory by law to allow all eligible employees a reasonable time-off during working hours to vote without loss of pay or penalty.
“GECOM is cognisant that persons may be required to work or will be stationed away from their respective polling district on duty during the conduct of the polls,” the Commission noted. “It is therefore in this regard that GECOM takes this opportunity to inform all employers of the legal provisions to grant employees the requisite time off to vote at the elections.”
The reminder comes under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act (ROPA), Section 81(1), which mandates that “Every employer shall permit every elector in his employ…to be absent from his work on election day for a reasonable time, in addition to the normal midday meal hour, for the purpose of voting… No employer should make any deduction from pay or other remuneration of any such elector or impose… any penalty by reason of his absence during such period.”
GECOM further warned that failure to comply with these rules could result in serious legal consequences, which are provided for under Section 82 of ROPA.
Section 82 states that any employer who refuses or interferes, directly or indirectly, with an employee’s right to time off for voting could face a fine of GY$65,000 and six months’ imprisonment upon summary conviction.
However, though employers must facilitate time off, GECOM also advised employees to act responsibly by informing and coordinating with their employers in advance.
“Employees are advised that it is their constitutional right to vote at the election,” the statement read. “As such, it is also their responsibility to engage their respective employers ahead of time to discuss the requisite time off and to obtain the necessary approvals.”
With just weeks remaining before the September 1 polls, GECOM is urging all stakeholders to make the necessary preparations to ensure every eligible voter can participate in the democratic process without obstruction.
“All persons are urged to take note and put the necessary systems in place to ensure that they are able to vote on election day,” the Commission stated.
The upcoming elections will determine the composition of Guyana’s 13th Parliament, with both national and regional seats up for grabs.
Seven parties have so far submitted lists of candidates to participate in the elections: the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), which is the current Government; A Partnership for National Unity (APNU); the Alliance for Change (AFC); and We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), led by United States (US)-sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed, which will be contesting in all 10 Administrative Regions of Guyana.
The Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity (ALP), led by former APNU/AFC Minister Simona Broomes, will be contesting in six regions, and Forward Guyana, led by former APNU parliamentarian Amanza Walton-Desir, will be contesting in seven regions, while Horizon and the Star Party, led by Dr Hubert Maloney, also submitted a list to GECOM.
Initially, 22 parties had submitted symbols to GECOM, declaring their interests in contesting the upcoming polls. The Elections Commission approved 21 of those symbols after one of the parties dropped out of the race. However, following several mergers and the stepping down of other parties, only the seven parties submitted lists on Nominations Day held Monday last.