– only 188,800 of 540,000 eligible voters cast ballots
The local population’s participation in the Local Government Elections (LGE) continues to dwindle with each successive year. This year registered a further dip in the numbers when compared to when LGE was last held in 2018.
According to data released by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), less than 50 per cent of registered voters participated in the Local Government Elections this year. Specifically, 540,056 persons were eligible to vote but only 188,856, or 34.97 per cent actually turned out to cast their ballots.
A trickle of voters at the Providence Primary School during LGE 2023
The lowest turnout was seen in places like Good Success/Caledonia, where just 1818 of 8713 eligible voters voted. In the capital city, there were 122,892 registered voters but only 34,527 voted, representing 28.1 per cent.
In New Amsterdam, there are 14,594 eligible voters but only 5495 voted, representing 37.65 per cent. In Linden, 28,675 residents were on the voters list but only 10,623 turned up at the polls, representing 37.05 per cent.
In Mahdia, there was a 42.5 per cent voter turnout, just 668 persons voted from a voter list of 1569. Meanwhile, of the 8357 persons registered, only 3423 voted in Bartica, a 40.96 per cent turn out.
At the last Local Government Elections held on November 12, 2018, GECOM had reported just four days later on November 16 that there was a voter turnout of just 36 per cent of the electorate.
The data at the time indicated that out of 572,531 persons registered to vote, only 208,534 actually went out to cast their ballots. This 36 per cent in 2018 is compared to a 47 per cent voter turnout when LGE was held in 2016.
Both main political parties have spoken frankly on the expected low turnout. In his public comments on it, Vice President and People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo had explained that the misconceptions of some persons regarding the importance of LGE could be a factor.
The low voter turnout at this year’s LGE is not limited to the civilian population. At a press conference on June 9 of this year, Deputy Chief Election Officer Aneal Giddings had reported that a 47 per cent turnout was recorded after the Disciplined Services voted.
Registered voters under the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) were 2684; whereby 1361 votes were cast or 50.71 per cent. For Guyana Police Force (GPF), some 5979 ranks were registered to vote, with 2717 votes cast, representing a 45.44 per cent turnout. With regard to the Guyana Prison Service, registered voters accounted for 430 officers with 239 votes cast or 55.58 per cent.
Meanwhile, the PPP/C has secured a landslide victory at the 2023 LGE, sweeping the majority of the 80 Local Authority Areas (LAAs) across the country. There were 13 LAAs in which no voting was done because the PPP/C was unchallenged by any party.
Results showed that the governing PPP/C won 62 of the LAAs outright and tied with the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) in four areas. However, since the PPP/C received the majority of votes cast, it is expected to assume the chairmanship.
Specifically, the PPP made major inroads in areas such as Georgetown (Region Four), Linden (Region 10), Mahdia (Region Eight) and New Amsterdam (Region Six) – by either increasing their votes or their seats on the councils.
The June 12 local government polls were monitored by some 227 observers from 11 observer groups including diplomatic missions in Guyana. A few days ago, Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Vishnu Persaud had pointed out that most of the declarations of results were made statutorily and publicly, before midnight, on June 12.
He had also said that the declaration of the results for LGE 2023 from all 80 Local Authority Areas across the country was made within 36 hours of the close of the poll.
