Bangladeshi, other Commonwealth citizens can vote if legally eligible – GECOM

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has confirmed its legal stance and clarified the electoral laws about voter eligibility, especially for Commonwealth nationals living legally in Guyana.

In response to false information on social media about Commonwealth citizens voting, GECOM’s Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward, stated that ID cards show a person’s legal residency status and comply with the law.

“I want to particularly emphasise that GECOM confirms that under Guyana’s laws, Commonwealth citizens residing legally in the country for over one year are eligible to vote. The ID cards issued reflect the legal residency status and are valid for electoral purposes,” Ward said at a press conference on Monday evening.

She referenced the National Registration Act, which governs the voter registration process.

“May I pause here to emphasise that under the National Registration Act, where the electoral process actually begins from the point of registration, the eligibility for registration is that you must be a Guyanese citizen by birth, descent, naturalisation, or a citizen of a Commonwealth country living in Guyana for one year or more.”

The PRO clarified that once an individual is deemed eligible and has completed the registration process, their information is stored in the National Register of Registrants Database. 

At the time of elections, eligible individuals are then added to the Official List of Electors (OLE).

“Once you are eligible and you have been registered, as you’re fully aware, your information or your record is entered into the National Register of Registrants Database, and at the time of election, you are extracted onto an official list of electors,” she explained.

Another issue circulating online concerned reports of multiple foreign nationals registered at a single address. Ward explained that such living arrangements may be due to employment-related housing and are not under GECOM’s control.

“GECOM does not control the arrangements. In some cases, employees or agencies post temporary or contracted employees at a single location. What matters is that the registration process was followed in compliance with the law.”

GECOM is urging citizens to verify information through official channels and refrain from spreading unverified or misleading content, especially during the electoral period.

Ward confirmed that the voting process proceeded “smoothly and peacefully across the country” and that any issues which arose were “addressed promptly and transparently in accordance with the law.”