GECOM now awaits word from Govt to increase workstations

…as ‘wet ballots’ halt Region 1 recount

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on Thursday announced that it is now awaiting word from the Government’s Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Taskforce to see whether it would be allowed to increase the counting stations being used at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre (ACCC) venue for the National Recount underway of the March 2, votes cast.

This in addition to the fact that the counting has had to be interrupted for Region One because of ‘wet ballots.’

The Commission on Thursday completed 98 of the 99 ballot boxes containing votes cast for Region One: Barima-Waini, but tabulations and counting for that electoral district has since been put on hold, since the last

ballot box was found to still be wet.
GECOM Public Relations Officer Yolanda Ward gave the confirmation on Thursday as the Commission continued with day eight of the National Recount exercise. According to Ward, the Commission has since decided to empty the box and place its contents at a secure spot along with security, in order for its contents to be ascertained at a later time, if still possible, given the water damage to the ballots.

She did indicate that since recount of the votes cast in the Region had more or less been completed, the two working stations that were

recounting the votes have since moved on to beginning the recount of ballots cast in Region Five.
Ward also revealed that a total of 54 ballot boxes were counted on Thursday, taking to 404 the total number of boxes counted since the recount process began.
GECOM Commissioners Sase Gunraj and Vincent Alexander have both expressed to reporters outside of the venue — the Arthur Chung Convention Centre — the view that even if the ballots could not be recounted, the situation did not pose an unsurmountable problem.
Alexander suggested that a range of options are available, including the holding of a likely bi-elections; while Gunraj did not rule out a resort to the SOPs for the ballot box, since the Statements of Recount (SORs) from the 98 boxes have thus far been largely consistent with the Election Day SOPs.
Additionally, reporters encamped in the makeshift media centre outside of the venue were told that the expected decision by the Commission, to add more counting stations at ACCC, would have to wait until today, when the Taskforce is expected to relay its report to GECOM Chairperson, retired Justice Claudette Singh.
GECOM Commissioner Sase Gunraj provided an update for media operatives that the Commission identified about half a dozen new locations at the venue for the Taskforce, and that there were some preliminary discussions in relation to the suitability of the areas identified.
He noted, too, that the security of the locations is also being taken into consideration, adding that: “For the most part, there is some consensus on the placement of the stations.”
The PPP GECOM Commissioner reported additionally that a decision was taken to reduce the checklist for the ballot boxes being recounted, since a number of unnecessary aspects have been consuming time. He cited as example the need to check for seals and other markings.
“It was my opinion, and shared on both sides, that we were checking certain aspects in the box that were not necessary,” Gunraj said.