Former executive member of A New and United Guyana (ANUG), Jonathan Yearwood is calling for an electoral list that is true to Guyana’s actual voting population. In a Facebook post recently, the former candidate in the 2020 elections described the present voters’ list as an absurdity of the highest order.
According to Yearwood, “Guyana’s population in Guyana was 786,559 in 2020. According to the Because We Care Cash Grant 2022, there are some 194,000 school children who are therefore not eligible to vote. The 2022 Preliminary Voters List for the 2022 Local Government Election about to be held is reportedly 684,354, (Stabroek News, 24.8.2022). The figures suggest that 786,559-194,000 = 592,559 adults. These figures are not absolutely accurate as population figures would have changed but not significantly.”
“Guyana, therefore, has an eligible adult voting population of approximately 592,559 but a preliminary List of 684,354. A total of 91,795 or 11.67% of the population are extra persons on the Preliminary List,” he said.
Persons who are on the list may have migrated and maybe died, but their families have never sent a copy of the death certificate to the GRO for the names to be removed from the list. However, “this does not remove the ridiculousness of the present situation,” said Yearwood
“This law which states that residency is not a requirement to be on the electoral list must be changed to have a list that reflects the true population of Guyana. Guyana has become a country where an election is won or lost by 5,000-7,000 votes. Therefore, it is imperative that there is an Electoral List that is true to Guyana’s actual voting population,” Yearwood stated.
“This ridiculous Law must be changed before the 2025 General and Regional Elections. This has nothing to do with which side of the political divide you are on but everything to do with common sense,” the former ANUG executive submitted.
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