Carter Center stresses evidence-based not hearsay monitoring assessment

As Guyanese turned out for what many observers characterise as one of “the most consequential elections in decades” amid an oil-rich boom, The Carter Center’s election observers remained vigilant, pledging that assessments would be grounded strictly in verified evidence, not hearsay. The Carter Center, which on Monday deployed 40 observers across all 10 regions of Guyana to closely monitor polling stations and vote tabulation centres, made clear it will hold off on any conclusions until the facts are fully assessed. At FE Pollard Primary School in Kitty, Georgetown, lead observer Jason Carter reaffirmed the mission’s guiding principle:
“One of the things that’s very important for all of us is that we want to make sure we are drawing conclusions based on evidence and not based on rumors. So, when we hear things, we try to go see with our own eyes what’s happening,” he said.

“We’re not going to draw any conclusions, of course, until after the day is over and then after the tabulation process is complete.” The Carter Center’s election observers arrived in Guyana way ahead of the election and had undergone training in advance of their observation of Election Day, tabulation, and the post-election environment. Carter returns to Guyana after having co-led the Center’s 2020 election observation mission in the country. The Center’s core team of electoral experts arrived in late June and issued a preliminary statement summarising key observations in the pre-election period on August 19. After the election, it will issue reports that offer an independent and impartial assessment of the electoral process. The Carter Center is here at the invitation of the Government of Guyana. It has a longstanding commitment to Guyana and has worked in the country since 1991 to strengthen democracy, support civil society, encourage sustainable development and reinforce the rule of law. The Carter Center is a recognised leader in the international election observation community and has conducted more than 125 election observation missions globally, including in Guyana in 1992, 2001, 2006, 2015, and 2020.

European Union (EU)
Meanwhile, European Union (EU) Chief Observer Robert Biedroń told reporters during their press briefing at the St Gabriel Primary School at Oronoque and Crown Streets, Queenstown, Georgetown, that the mission was collecting detailed field returns and routing them to a central analytics unit: “We provide impartial factual reports” and “we are transmitting our findings to our statistical hub.”
He underlined the scale of the EU presence, “it’s 50 of us”, and invited the public to hear preliminary EU findings at a scheduled press briefing: “a press conference which will be held on September 3, at the Pegasus hotel.” He later described Election Day as a celebration of democracy and reported that observers across all regions witnessed the smooth opening of polling stations for Monday’s General and Regional Elections. Biedroń explained that they were stationed “from the very early morning” to oversee the start of voting and would remain until the close of polls and the counting of ballots. “We are gathering information, observing the elections…This will give us a very clear picture of the voting process from all of the regions of the country,” he said. Biedroń noted that the team will also observe the tabulation of votes at the regional level to provide a thorough assessment.
The EU Election Observation Mission is also expected to release its preliminary findings on September 3, followed later by a final report with recommendations.

Devoid of fear
The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC), having deployed approximately 200 observers across the country, reported that, based on preliminary observation reports, the General and Regional Elections 2025 were conducted professionally and transparently by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). The ERC notes that the electoral process was free, fair and carried out in an atmosphere devoid of fear or intimidation. ERC observers reported that polling stations were generally well organised, with procedures being followed, and that GECOM staff displayed professionalism and courtesy in the execution of their duties. The ERC emphasises the importance of the ballot counting and verification of Statements of Poll (SoPs) being conducted with the same level of transparency and professionalism, and the official results to be made public within the shortest possible time.
The Commission commends the people of Guyana for their peaceful participation in the process and for their collective contribution towards ensuring credible elections. In anticipation of the results from GECOM, the ERC calls on all leaders of political parties, to appeal to their supporters to remain calm, respectful and avoid actions that would build tensions in our society.