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Georgetown, Guyana — Alliance for Change (AFC) leader Nigel Hughes has proposed a new measure aimed at bolstering transparency in the upcoming 2025 elections: placing security cameras at polling stations to verify voter turnout numbers. Speaking at a November 1 press conference, Hughes and other AFC leaders argued that cameras at polling stations—not inside voting booths but near entrances—could provide credible evidence of how many people actually enter to cast ballots, helping to address public concerns about the integrity of the voting process.
Hughes explained that the use of cameras would serve as an independent verification tool to prevent potential discrepancies in voter turnout. “When people declare that 100 people voted, and the camera shows only 25 people entered the polling station, then we have difficulties,” Hughes stated. He argued that such an approach could help preempt disputes over election results, which have historically been a point of contention in Guyana’s elections.
The AFC’s proposal is part of a broader call for electoral reforms, including a new voters list, biometric identification at polling stations, and the removal of politically affiliated staff from the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). Hughes emphasized the need for measures that would restore confidence in GECOM’s ability to deliver fair and credible election results. “If we go into an election in which there are grave doubts about the list, grave doubts about the verification of the voters, we are…laying the foundation…for difficulties after the election,” he said.
The use of cameras, Hughes noted, could complement biometric verification, another AFC proposal to increase election security. By capturing real-time data on voter participation, cameras would provide additional accountability and transparency to an election process that Hughes said has historically struggled to earn public trust. “Since all of us are committed to finding an election that is properly run and consistent with international standards, let’s add to the list to make sure it is even more credible,” he remarked.
The AFC’s suggestions come amid ongoing calls from international observers for electoral reforms in Guyana. Following the 2020 elections, which were marred by accusations of voter fraud and procedural irregularities, observer missions from the U.S., EU, CARICOM, and others recommended several improvements, including a clean voter list and increased transparency at polling sites. Hughes urged these international partners to support the AFC’s proposals, stating that credible verification systems, such as cameras, could help avoid conflicts that have marred past elections.
The AFC press conference also addressed other issues, including challenges facing the sugar industry and concerns over the Guyana Police Force. As the 2025 elections draw nearer, Hughes and the AFC emphasized that these proposed measures, particularly the use of cameras, are essential to securing an election process that inspires confidence across all parties and the Guyanese public.
