AS concerns mounted recently over the shortage of Polling Day staff for the highly-anticipated General and Regional elections slated for May 11 this year, Chief Elections Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Election Commission (GECOM), Keith Lowenfield Tuesday sought to assure the media that GECOM is currently utilising all possible mediums to ensure vacancies are filled. Just last week, Lowenfield had revealed at a press conference that some 1623 more persons were needed to make up the complement of staff needed for polling day. However, the timeframe for such vacancies to be filled was not an issue, as the elections regulatory body have ample time to fill those vacancies before Elections Day.

The CEO had also explained that it was GECOM’s intent to hire some 12,000 persons to man the more than 2,200 polling stations across the country. “We must have a reservoir of polling day staff,” Lowenfield said, while noting that substitutes would also be hired should the need arise.
Against this backdrop, he hinted yesterday that the “reservoir” that GECOM has created for polling day is almost finished.
However, he further disclosed that there remain shortfalls in district four (Region 4), with the shortfall in that region being between 1000-1200 persons. Further, district one (Region 1) has also recorded a shortfall of approximately 30 persons, and district six (Region 6), following in similar fashion.
Assurance was then given to the media by Lowenfield that the elections regulatory body, “have utilised other mediums to ensure that these vacancies are filled.”
“It’s the best we can do at this point in time. With all things being equal, we are hoping to have all these persons trained who will be employed on a temporary basis,” the CEO concluded.