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Georgetown, Guyana — GECOM Commissioner Vincent Alexander recently stated on a popular social media program, Nation Watch, that critical lists identifying overseas residents who were allegedly impersonated during the 2020 General Elections have gone missing. These lists, intended for verification, contained names of individuals confirmed to be out of the country yet recorded as having voted on election day. Alexander says their disappearance raises serious concerns about election transparency and integrity.
Alexander explained that an initial batch of roughly 800 names was submitted to former Police Commissioner Leslie James for verification, who confirmed that “75 percent were not in the country.” However, additional lists, submitted by the opposition APNU+AFC, were reportedly held by GECOM but never sent for further review. In August 2022, Alexander said the government requested GECOM turn over all lists to authorities for a thorough examination, but since then, he claims, the government has been “patently silent,” with no public update on whether verification was completed.
He noted that the lists, which he believes were sent to the Chief Immigration Officer, could clarify whether votes attributed to overseas residents were legitimate. In a conversation with the Attorney General, Alexander said he was told that the AG did not have the lists, suggesting they might still be with the police. Despite Alexander’s calls for transparency, he says there has been no official response, leaving unresolved questions about the integrity of the 2020 election process.
Guyana’s Attorney General recently responded to these allegations on his Facebook program, Issues in the News, dismissing Alexander’s claims as “bizarre.” He argued that election safeguards—such as ID checks, voter list verification, and the presence of GECOM staff and party agents at polling stations—would prevent impersonation, adding that “there is no way someone could have impersonated someone else and voted in that manner.”
Alexander’s concerns have added momentum to calls from international observer missions—including The Carter Center, EU, CARICOM, and the Commonwealth—for significant electoral reforms. These groups have recommended that GECOM revamp its structure to ensure impartiality, adopt clear written procedures for vote counting, and overhaul the voter registration system to prevent irregularities. Such reforms, observers say, are essential to enhance transparency, restore public trust, and prevent future discrepancies.
As questions surrounding the 2020 election remain unresolved, Alexander and international observers continue to advocate for changes to strengthen the credibility of Guyana’s electoral system—calls which, he argues, have gone largely unheeded by the current administration.
