Elections 2025: Election Day logistics in place – GECOM confirms poll preparations

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has confirmed that a total of 757,690 electors are on the voters list for the September 1 General and Regional Election.
Of that number, the Commission has also confirmed that some 10,481 members of the Joint Services will exercise their franchise this Friday ahead of the national polls; in keeping with longstanding practice to ensure they can be deployed across the country on Election Day. Deputy Chief Election Officer (CEO) at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Aneal Giddings, told reporters during a press conference on Monday that the Commission is finalising arrangements to ensure a smooth process, including the establishment of 2,790 polling stations across the country. Of this number, 62 polling stations will be located at private residences.
“The Official List of Electors caters to 757,690 electors as follows: District One, 24,453. District Two, 42,596. District Three, which is divided into three sub-districts, caters to 116,876. District Four, which has four sub-districts, 323,436. District Five, 50,796. District Six, with three sub-districts, 111,554. District Seven, 17,846. District Eight, 9,192. And district 10, 38,460,” Giddings revealed.

Joint Services voters
As is customary, members of the Joint Services will cast their votes ahead of the general population to allow them to be fully deployed on Election Day.
GECOM disclosed that members of the Disciplined Services will head to the polls on Friday, August 22, a week before E-Day. In total, 10,481 ranks from the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), and the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) are eligible to vote in these early polls.
The breakdown shows 6,909 ranks from the GPF, 3,106 from the GDF, and 466 from the GPS. Voting will take place at 87 balloting stations nationwide, with members casting their ballots in accordance with the electoral district they are registered in.

While the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) is generally regarded as part of the Disciplined Services, its members will vote on Election Day itself, not during the special balloting exercise.
“We are well-poised for the conduct of this election, on these elections on Friday. All of the logistical arrangements have been made. At this point in time, there is nothing, aside from maybe force majeure that can prevent such conduct,” he said confidently. In Guyana, the disciplined services would customarily cast their ballots early on “E-Day” in order to ensure they can perform their duties on Election Day without interruption since they are deployed across the country on Election Day. On Election Day, many officers may be stationed far from their home constituencies, which would make it difficult or impossible for them to vote where they’re registered. Additionally, letting them vote early reduces logistical stress and ensures their votes are safely cast and stored before they’re deployed.
However, the ballots of the disciplined services are not counted separately. The disciplined services ballots are kept under seal and guarded until Election Day.
Once the ranks have voted at the various balloting stations, their ballots are then sent to regular polling stations on Election Day and are intermixed with regular ballot papers before they are counted. The intermixing is done to protect the voter privacy of the ranks, as well as uphold fairness and secrecy.

Distribution of ballots
The GECOM has also confirmed that ballot papers for the September 1 polls have been dispatched to Guyanese diplomatic missions abroad, while local distribution to Returning Officers across the 10 administrative regions is actively underway. The move signals that the Commission is firmly on track with preparations as the country heads into the final stretch before Election Day.
According to the Deputy CEO, the sensitive election materials, including ballot papers, statements of poll and tally sheets, arrived from Canada earlier this month. Following their arrival, GECOM immediately began the process of extracting and packaging ballots for overseas, disciplined services and local voters.
He noted that 92 ballots have been dispatched to 20 Guyanese diplomatic missions overseas to facilitate non-resident electors. Of that number, two sealed ballot boxes have already been returned and are in the custody of the CEO Vishnu Persaud.
“We have enveloped some 10,481 ballots for the discipline forces, prepared the ballot boxes for that, the conduct of that election. We have also packed the non-sensitive supplies that are required for each of the ballot stations. I would like to report that there are 63 balloting locations across Guyana in all of the 10 districts… We have actually received today returns from two diplomatic missions, which are in the custody of the Chief Election Officer as required by law. Secure custody. He has reminded me to say secure custody”.
“They’re actually in a sealed ballot box and the sealing of that ballot box was witnessed by contesting agents from the contesting political parties. We are well-poised for the conduct of this election on these elections on Friday. All of the logistical arrangements have been made,” he added.
Meanwhile, On the local front, GECOM has begun distributing election materials to Returning Officers in the regions and according to Giddings, the Commission has been guaranteed security for polling stations along border communities.
“I would say yes, we have been guaranteed security. As I said, the plans are not final. We are yet to resume our talks on this. For them to tell us exactly what will be in place and what could be our expectations. But the answer is yes. As a result of our collaboration that we have, we have constant communication with particularly the police and the joint services as a grouping. And as part of that, these things came out. As a matter of fact, they raised it as one of their concerns,” the Deputy CEO said.