Why We Used AI to Innovate Vote Counting in Guyana — and Why Citizens of All Parties Are Part of the Effort

Aug 31, 2025 News

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By Karen Abrams, MBA, AA, Doctoral Candidate

Kaieteur News – We could not think of a better way  to demonstrate collaboration, problem solving, innovation and Guyanese creativity than by innovating an AI integrated, automated and parallel vote counting system in Guyana. Elections in Guyana are too often followed by tension, delays, and disputes about the fairness of the process. Results trickle in slowly, leaving citizens anxious and fueling mistrust. At Abrams and Associates Research Consultancy, we wanted to help change that. We believed that if technology could make banking faster, business more efficient, and communication instant, then it could also help strengthen the democratic process.

That belief led us to build an AI-powered platform designed to collect and process the Statements of Poll (SOPs) that are posted outside every polling station after ballots are counted. We are recruiting an army of volunteers representing all political parties to upload SOPs to our system.  Once an SOP is uploaded, the system uses artificial intelligence to read, categorize, and allocate the votes to the correct political party. A volunteer verification process ensures the data is accurate. From there, results are published in real time on a public-facing website so that all citizens, not just those inside the counting center, can access them.  Citizens will be able to search by district and even ballot box number and view the actual SOP that was counted and we are asking for your help. It takes a village. Whether you support one party or another, your contribution to transparency strengthens democracy for everyone.

Our project is a reinforcement of the official process, not a replacement. It creates an independent, transparent repository of SOPs that citizens can access directly. The goal is simple; offer transparency, provide confidence, and reduce suspicion. When citizens see results with their own eyes, democracy feels more open and trustworthy.

From the beginning, I was intentional about involving citizens from all political parties in this effort. We sought their feedback on whether this was a good idea, because we know that innovation alone is not enough, trust matters. Our team, made up of local developers, built this system not to serve one party over another, but to help the entire country. We wanted to create a solution that could minimize post-election conflict and demonstrate that Guyanese innovation can make a difference.

The system also includes a central incident reporting tool that captures and logs issues across the country, from voter intimidation to equipment failure or irregularities. These reports are stored in a searchable database that can be filtered by region or district. For the first time, Guyana will have an organized and accessible national record of election-day issues that citizens, researchers, and journalists can analyze long after ballots are counted.

We do not know if we will receive enough SOPs. We do not know if we will recruit enough volunteers. We do not know if the website will handle the load when thousands of citizens log on at once. But we have to try. Innovation requires courage, and innovators try, fail, improve, and try again until they succeed.

This is the message we want to send to our children. The 21st century belongs to those who are willing to learn and to try. If they see us taking bold steps to solve national challenges with technology, they will be more likely to imagine solutions of their own. That curiosity will fuel their learning. That learning will fuel their leadership.

This project also aligns with the mission of STEMGuyana, the only organization in the region that offers AI education, uses AI tools, and conducts AI research. We do this because we are committed to staying on the cutting edge, testing whether AI is hype or truly transformative, and when it is effective, applying it to real challenges and we want our students to lead on this front.

For parents, the lesson is urgent; prepare your children not only to consume technology but to create with it. In a world reshaped by artificial intelligence, their ability to research, experiment, and build solutions will determine their opportunities.

This is also a national experiment in transparency and innovation. Whether it succeeds in full or only in part, it proves one thing, that Guyanese citizens are capable of building solutions for Guyanese problems.

We invite you to join us. Help upload SOPs, report incidents and show that Guyana can lead with technology, integrity, and vision; because it takes a village, and together, we can inspire a generation.

Go to https://www.risetogethergy.com/rise for more information on how to volunteer and contribute to this national effort.

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• AI integrated, citizens, consultancy, Elections, Guyana, Imagine, problems, SOPs

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