GECOM warns against misinformation, urges protection of vote secrecy as elections near

Guyana: With less than a month to go before Guyana’s General and Regional Elections, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has issued two strong public advisories, one warning against election related misinformation and another reinforcing the legal protections around keeping the secrecy of vote.  

In its statement released, GECOM shed light on the public and all stakeholders to stay vigilant on the fake news spreading during the time of elections. The release emphasized on the disturbingly increase in false narratives spreading online which have spread misinformation and disrupt the integrity of the electoral process.  

GECOM also stressed that misinformation can lead to confusion, and a loss in trust across democratic institutions. The electoral commission further stated that citizens should treat GECOM as the only trusted and official source of election information.  

The Guyana Elections Commission has also stated that in order to tackle these problems, they will intensify their efforts to spread out relevant, accurate and verified information through official updates on their websites and social platforms.  

“Guyanese citizens must think critically and verify all election-related information before sharing it,” the Commission stated, adding that doing so is vital to safeguarding the democratic process. 

In another seperate advisory issued, GECOM has reminded the people of Guyana that breaching the secrecy of vote is a criminal offence under the Representation of the People Act (Cap. 1:03). The commission highlighted the illegal acts under this law including; 

• Communicating how someone voted, including by the voter himself. 
• Displaying a marked ballot paper. 
• Offering or accepting money or other incentives to influence how someone votes. 

GECOM has said that anyone found guilty of such offences can face the consequences including imprisonment upto 6 months or face fines.  

With elections scheduled for September 1, GECOM is ramping up its efforts to ensure that a free, fair and credible elections take place. The Commission’s focus is to ensure no misinformation is spread and the secrecy of vote is upheld. Guyanese citizens are being asked to stay informed, stay cautious, and help protect the democratic process.