One day after warning against obstructing the secrecy of the vote, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), today voted against having the phones of voters lodged before they cast their ballots.
The decision was made this afternoon at a meeting of the seven-member Commission.
The Chairman of the Commission, retired Justice Claudette Singh, backed the position of the Government nominated Commissioners that the phones of voters should not be taken away before they enter the polling booth.
However, the Commission agreed that taking a photograph of one’s ballot is illegal.
It was longstanding Election Commissioner, Vincent Alexander, who submitted that voters should not be allowed to enter the polling booth with their phones, as a means to protect the secrecy of the vote.
He said the Commission has evidence of previous instances of persons snapping photos of their ballot and making their voting choice known on social media.
Alexander said it also represents a deeper issue of vote buying.
“My concern is that voters are being purchased and that a condition, precedent, is that a person should take a picture to show that they did vote as promised before they are paid. Now that is a form of coercion. That interferes with free, fair and transparent elections, and therefore if we don’t allow people to take their phones in, it reduces that possibility significantly. Unfortunately, the GECOM administration and the commissioners appointed by the government, as well as the chairperson objected to that proposition,” Alexander said.
In a statement on Monday, GECOM said the Representation of the People’s Act prohibits persons, including voters, from sharing information about the political party for which an individual has voted for.
Similarly, it is an offence for anyone to influence, by any means, a voter to display his ballot paper, to make known the Political party of his choice or the party choice of a proxy voter.
It is also an offence for any person, directly or indirectly, to offer any money, gift, and/or loan, to any voter to secure their vote.
GECOM warned that anyone who commits such offences shall be liable on summary conviction to pay a fine and to imprisonment for six months.
In a statement this morning, A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) said it is important for the secrecy of the ballot to be guaranteed now more than ever.
The party said elections can only be a true reflection of the will of the people when people can vote free from fear, coercion, and bribes.
It said the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) can guarantee the secrecy of the ballot by widely publicizing the law that prohibits the photographing of one’s ballot, and ensure that such laws are enforced on Elections Day.
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