Elections 2025: ‘Your roles are pivotal in upholding trust, confidence in our ability to conduct free, fair, credible elections’ – GECOM Chair tells election staff

Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh has emphasised to election staff that their responsibilities are pivotal “in upholding the trust and confidence of the electorate in our ability to conduct elections in a free, fair, transparent, and credible manner.”
She made the assertion in a message via the revised manuals for General and Regional Elections titled (i) Official Manual for Returning Officers, Supernumerary Returning Officers and Other Election Officials, and (ii) Official Manual for Presiding Officers and Other Polling Day Officials.
These manuals were prepared by the Secretariat of the GECOM in accordance with the relevant legal provisions, and with input from the Parliamentary Political Parties with whom the manuals were shared for scrutiny and feedback.
Both manuals are used for the training of staff for the upcoming elections.
In her message, the GECOM Chair noted that the manuals outline the procedures and protocols that have been designed to ensure “that every vote count and that all voters are treated with respect and dignity.”
“Adhering to these guidelines will help maintain the integrity of our electoral process,” she emphasised.
In fact, the GECOM Chair noted that the manuals reflect best practices based on both local experiences and international standards.
“I urge you to familiarise yourself with its contents thoroughly. Understanding your duties will empower you to act decisively and effectively when faced with challenges on Election Day,” she told the individuals who have signed up to be polling day staff.
“As we traverse the pathway towards polling day, let us remember that we are not just facilitators, we are guardians of democracy. The work you do is vital for ensuring that every citizen’s voice is heard and respected. Together, let us strive for excellence in executing our responsibilities,” Justice Singh noted.

Understanding the process
Among other things, the manuals outline the specific roles and responsibilities for each polling day employee including Returning Officers, Deputy Returning Offices, Presiding Officers, Assistant Presiding Officers, Poll Clerk, Counting Assistant/Ballot Clerk, Polling Agents and even Police Officers on duty at the polling stations.
The manuals also state clearly how official election-related materials must be treated, such as the Statements of Poll (SOPs).
GECOM made it clear to all elections day staff that the SOPs are the “official record of the results of the elections at each Polling Station”. The manuals note that SoPs must be prepared separately for General Election and Regional Elections after the count in each case, i.e., the SoP for the General Election must be completed after the count for the General Election, and the SoP for the Regional Elections after the count for the Regional Election.
It is further outlined that the Presiding Officer must record on the SoPs: Particulars of the Polling Station, including Division Number, Ballot Box Number, Polling Station Name, and Presiding Officer Name as well as the Number of: valid votes cast for each List of Candidates, electors who voted at the Polling Station and Tendered Ballot Papers used.
The manuals also outline the conduct of each officer on polling day, noting – among other things that – where the Presiding Officer is not satisfied that the person present is the elector who is listed in the List, he/she must advise the person accordingly and direct him/her to leave the Polling Station.
The manuals also explained that if, at 6:00pm there are electors in the queue, the poll shall remain open until the last person has cast his/her ballot.
“In this circumstance, the Presiding Officer must: (a) direct the Police Officer to stand at the end of the queue, (b) record the name of the last person in the queue, (c) make note of the number of persons in the queue, (d) direct the Poll Clerk to make an entry in the Poll Book on Page 7 and (e) allow all persons in the queue to vote, (f) announce the closure of the Poll, (g) close the aperture of the Ballot Box and affix the red wire seal, (h) direct the Poll Clerk to make entry in the Poll Book on Page 8, and (i) request all Polling Agents to sign as witnesses.
Note: If there are no electors in the queue at 6:00pm, the Presiding Officer must perform steps (f) to (i) only, as prescribed above,” the documents detailed.
They also deal with rules for the counting and sorting of ballot papers, including the opening of the ballot box. For instance, the Presiding Officer must clearly announce that he/she will now commence the process of opening the box in preparation for the count.
The documents also specify how the tally sheets must be distributed.
“The Presiding Officer must distribute the provided Tally Sheets to the: 1) Assistant Presiding Officer, 2) Counting Assistant, or Presiding Officer in the case where the Counting Assistant is assigned the responsibility for the Count, 3) Poll Clerk (s), 4) Duly Appointed Candidates present, 5) Polling Agents/Counting Agents present.”
After the completion of counting, the Presiding Officer must: (a) give opportunity to the Duly Appointed Candidates, Counting Agents and the Polling Agents or Alternate Polling Agents present to ascertain the accuracy of the information recorded.
According to the manuals, the Presiding Officer must clearly announce the results of the elections as recorded in the SOPs. The Presiding Officer is also required to retrieve one each of the first leaves of the Statement of Polls for General and Regional Elections and post them securely in a conspicuous location outside of the Polling Station. The manuals also warn that any person who removes a Statement of Poll posted outside the Polling Station commits an offence and is liable on summary conviction to a fine of ten million dollars and to imprisonment for ten years.
The manuals also noted that a Returning Officer or a Supernumerary Returning Officer commits an offence if they wilfully or without reasonable excuse fail to immediately post an electronic copy of a certified Statement of Poll, that they received from a Presiding Officer, on the Commission’s website to be publicly viewed.
The manual addresses a wide range of electoral offences, as outlined in the Constitution of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, Cap. 1:01 (the Constitution), The Representation of the People Act, Cap. 1:03 (RoPA) and the General Elections (Observers) Act, Cap. 1:10 (Observers Act).
In a statement a few days ago, GECOM had explained that these manuals were provided beforehand via email to all persons who applied for appointment as temporary Management Staff for the upcoming elections.
With regards to training of Polling Day staff to fill the positions for polling day namely Presiding Officers, Assistant Presiding Officers, Poll Clerks, and Ballot Clerks for the upcoming elections, which is currently underway, applicants were urged to access and study the respective manual.
Meanwhile, commenting on elections preparations, Vice President (VP) of Guyana and General Secretary of the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo had noted that in light of the many controversies during the 2020 elections, these revised manuals can serve to instil confidence in the election machinery.
He said they will “leave no doubt as to the role and responsibilities of all the actors in the electoral process.”
In addition to these manuals, the Government of the United Kingdom (UK), in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is supporting GECOM to enhance institutional capacity and strengthen electoral processes ahead of the 2025 General and Regional Elections in Guyana.
Jagdeo has since commented that his Government is happy with the external help.
The Electoral Support Project, funded by the UK Government and implemented by UNDP will provide high-level technical assistance, international expertise and best practices to support GECOM’s core activities in administering elections that meet international standards.
The project is designed to support both the immediate and longer-term needs of GECOM in managing the 2025 electoral cycle and will continue through to March 2026. The UK has allocated £750,000 to support this initiative.