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Georgetown, Guyana — Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Commissioner Vincent Alexander highlighted evidence of voter impersonation during the 2020 General and Regional Elections, emphasizing what he described as the need for stronger biometric systems—an initiative once backed by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) when it was in opposition but now largely dismissed by the party as unnecessary. Alexander discussed the issue on Nation Watch, hosted by Mervyn Williams, where he referred to letters between GECOM and the Chief Immigration Officer detailing numerous cases of alleged voter impersonation that, he argued, expose vulnerabilities in the current electoral system.
The 2020 election saw allegations that hundreds of ballots were cast for individuals who were either deceased or not in the country. Mervyn Williams cited a letter from GECOM to Police Commissioner Leslie James in May 2020 requesting verification of voter eligibility for several listed individuals. A subsequent response confirmed that of the names submitted, 172 were not in the country at the time of the election, although votes were cast in their names. Similarly, another letter documented 211 additional instances of overseas voters being recorded as having cast ballots.
“The evidence is right here in these statutory documents,” Alexander remarked, highlighting the responses from the Chief Immigration Officer as proof that some names recorded as having voted in 2020 should not have been on the voter list. Alexander explained, “The PPP came to the conclusion [in 2015] that it was possible,” referencing former statements by PPP members on voting irregularities, “but we have gone beyond that conjecture and now have evidence that it occurred.”
Alexander’s comments come amid renewed debate over the potential implementation of biometric voting technology, a proposal once championed by current Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo. In 2015, then-Opposition Leader Jagdeo advocated for biometric identification at polling stations, suggesting it would address issues of voter impersonation. Jagdeo stated at the time, “We need enhanced biometrics… it could minimize [issues with impersonation],” while also calling for electronic voting to create an additional layer of verification. Yet, as Vice President, Jagdeo’s administration has resisted these proposed changes, arguing that the current system sufficiently ensures election security.
In his recent statements, Attorney General Anil Nandlall argued against implementing biometric identification, citing concerns over potential technical failures that he said could risk disenfranchising voters on election day. “If… the machine malfunctions, you’re telling me that I will be denied my right to vote?” Nandlall questioned, adding that power outages or equipment issues could compromise the reliability of a biometrics-based system.
In response, Alexander criticized the PPP’s reversal on biometric reform, suggesting that the evidence of voter impersonation underscores the need for stronger protections. He explained that while voter impersonation might not surface in a routine vote count, it was identified during the 2020 election recount, allowing parties to verify the eligibility of individual voters. Alexander said, “This kind of information cannot become available in a normal count,” as typical processes do not involve checks on the residence or status of individuals on the list.
With the 2025 elections on the horizon, calls for biometrics and electoral reform are mounting as GECOM faces pressure to address the alleged impersonation cases exposed in the 2020 recount process. Alexander pressed for the PPP to uphold its prior commitments to election transparency, stating, “Here is evidence of the imperfection of the system. Here is the evidence.”
