News Americas, GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Tues. Sept. 2, 2025: Guyanese voters who went to the polls on Monday, September 1st, may have to wait until September 4th for the official outcome of the country’s general and regional elections.
The Guyana Elections Commission, (GECOM), confirmed late Monday evening that while voting day had been “smooth,” ballot tabulation will take several days, and in the meantime, only verified Statements of Poll, (SOPs) posted on its website should be considered authentic.
GECOM Urges Patience
At a late-night briefing, GECOM spokesperson Yolanda Ward cautioned against the spread of fake or premature results on social media.
“This despicable act can only be seen as creating a platform on which a political party may claim victory without basis,” Ward said. “GECOM takes the opportunity once again to appeal to all stakeholders to accept only the results published on GECOM’s website and those officially declared by returning officers.”
Ward added that all polling staff were equipped with backup systems, including solar lamps, to ensure continuous counting. She said SOPs are being scanned and uploaded to GECOM’s site as they are verified.
SOPs Released So Far
By late Monday night, 20 SOPs had been published on the Commission’s website — three from District 10, two from District 6 and eight from District 7. In District 10, WIN won at one polling site while the PPP/C won at the other in both the general and regional elections.
In District 6, the PPP/C won at the one declared site in both the regional and the general.
In Region 7, the PPP/C won at 2 sites while WIN won at 5 polling sites and were tied with the PPP/C at one. WIN also tied with the APNU at another site in region 7.
Ward emphasized that these early postings are only fragments of the overall vote. “We have stayed away from preliminary results because it is important for electors to be aware only of what GECOM publishes,” she stressed.
OAS Observers Praise Smooth Voting
Meanwhile, former Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding, who heads the Organization of American States, (OAS) Elections Observer Mission, said he was “highly impressed” with the overall voting process.
Golding reported that the OAS mission visited more than 340 polling stations across the country. “By and large, things moved smoothly,” he said, adding that most stations opened on time and polling officials were professional and well-trained.
Golding, who also led the OAS mission in 2020, said he expects the current tabulation process to be smoother than five years ago when results from District 4 triggered prolonged disputes. “I don’t anticipate a reoccurrence of that problem,” he said.
Six Parties, Six Presidential Candidates
This year’s election features six political parties contesting 65 seats in the National Assembly and 10 regional councils. The main rivals are President Irfaan Ali’s PPP/C and the opposition A Partnership for National Unity, (APNU), led by Aubrey Norton.
Other presidential contenders include US sanctioned, billionaire businessman Azruddin Mohamed of the WIN, (We Invest In Nationhood) party; attorney Nigel Hughes of the Alliance For Change (AFC); Amanza Walton-Desir of the Forward Guyana Movement, and former minister Dr. Simona Broomes of the Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity, (ALP).
Concerns Raised
GECOM also acknowledged complaints, including one polling station that reportedly closed just before the official 6 p.m. deadline. Ward apologized to members of the disability community who struggled with inaccessible stations, saying legislative reform may be required to address longstanding concerns.
Questions have also been raised about voters using Commonwealth ID cards, multiple registrations at the same address, and voting procedures for those without ID cards – all of which GECOM said will be reviewed.
International Oversight
More than 500 local observers and 200 international observers from CARICOM, the OAS, the Commonwealth, and other agencies monitored Monday’s vote. Their presence underscores both the high stakes for Guyana’s democratic process and the international spotlight on the country as it manages its booming oil wealth and territorial tensions with Venezuela.
Next Steps
With ballots still being counted and SOPs gradually uploaded, GECOM said the official declaration of results is targeted for Thursday, September 4th. Until then, the Commission is urging voters to remain calm and ignore misinformation.
