Missing polling books delay Reg. 1 count

May 07, 2020 News

The national recount of ballots cast in District/ Region One was yesterday delayed after the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) was unable to locate the polling books that were presumed to be with the ballot boxes at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre (ACCC), but remained in the possession of former Returning Officer (RO) Trevor Harris.
According to the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Elections Commission, Yolanda Ward, issues arose during the recount of ballots cast in the March 2, General and Regional Elections after party agents raised objections over the absence of those polling books, which subsequently resulted in a stall of the recount and reconciliation for that district.
During her press briefing last evening, Ward stated that GECOM has located the missing polling books and had made the necessary arrangements to have them transported to Georgetown.
“We are hoping to get them here by tomorrow or maybe early on Friday when there is a flight coming out of that Region,” she said.
According to Ward, polling books play a significant role in the accountability and transparency of the events that took place at polling stations, as they contain the notes of the Returning Officer (RO) regarding what transpired during the electoral process on Election Day.
The PRO further explained that those books, among other things, would depict if persons voted with certificates of employment, the total numbers of the same, whether persons would have voted by proxy.
The books also chronicle the issues and hiccups that were addressed at the respective polling stations.
“The poll book is essentially the log book of the day’s activities,” she said.
Ward stated that she anticipates that today’s recount proceedings will go without any major hiccups.

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