OVER 8,000 members of the disciplined services and 83 non-resident electors are set to cast their votes today at ahead of the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections.
Members of the disciplined services included members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Guyana Prison Service (GPS).

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) last reported that all systems were ‘go’ for the voting process which will take place from 06:00hrs to 18:0hrs today. Around 8,000 members of the joint services are eligible to vote. When it comes to the ballot distribution, there will be 47 ballots for Region One; 282 for Region Two; 1,482 for Region Three; 5,324 for Region Four; 976 for Region Five; 1,328 for Region Six; 61 for Region Seven; 17 for Region Eight; 29 for Region Nine; and 680 for Region 10. The ballot officers for the disciplined services are Roxanne Ramdyhaw Lewi for the GDF; Nardeo Persaud for the GPF; and Onicia Bynoe for the GPS.

Meanwhile, the CEO said the ballots will be extracted and posted to the non-resident electors, who will then be notified to return those ballots by a particular date. GECOM, in a breakdown of information on the non-resident electors, said there are two non-resident electors registered in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); four in Region Three (Essequibo-Islands-West Demerara); 71 in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica); three in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice); and one each in Regions Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice).

Both groups will cast their votes in the presence of agents appointed by political parties contesting the elections, as well as individuals from international and local observer missions. GECOM has informed members of the disciplined services that at an appointed day before March 2, 2020, all disciplined services ballots will be sorted accordingly in the presence of party agents. In order to protect the secrecy of the votes of the votes cast, the ballot papers will not be stamped with the official six-digit stamp until Election Day and intermixed with the votes of others for counting.