GECOM’s registration period to end July 8
The Guyana Elections Commission is urging all eligible persons who have not yet registered to visit the nearest GECOM office to do so by Sunday, July 8, 2018.
These Registration exercises began on May 21, 2018 in an effort to ensure that all eligible persons are afforded opportunities to be included on the National Register of Registrants Database and ensuring that GECOM is in a state of preparedness which would enable it to respond to calls for elections in a timely manner, a GECOM release said yesterday.
Any person who will be 14 years and over by 31st October, 2018, is a Guyanese citizen by birth, descent, naturalization or is a citizen from a Commonwealth country living here for one year or more is eligible for Registration.
Interested persons are asked to take along an original Birth Certificate or a valid Guyana Passport and original Marriage Certificate or Deed Poll (if applicable).
Baptism Certificates, expired Passports, photocopies of relevant documents or letters from Priests, Elders, Headmasters/Headmistresses, Village Captains/Toshaos and Justices of the Peace nor existing ID Cards will not be acceptable as source documents for Registration, the release said.
Persons 18 years and older can also request to correct or change their name, address or occupation by 8th July 2018.
July 12, 2018 is the last day for persons to object to a name appearing on the Preliminary List of Electors (PLE), the release said. There will be a hearing by Registration Officers to determine the validity of the Objections and if persons are not satisfied with the outcome, appeals will be heard by the Chief Election Officer.
“Registration guarantees eligible persons their Constitutional right to become registered in accordance with the relevant legal provisions and to cast their ballots at future General, Regional and Local Government Elections.
“GECOM is urging persons to desist from unlawful practices as there are reports of persons presenting themselves to be registered claiming not to know their names, date of birth and other key personal identifying information. This is an offence”, GECOM said.
The twenty-nine registration offices countrywide are opened Monday to Thursday between 8:00hrs to 17:00hrs, Friday between 8:00hrs and 16:00hrs and weekends and holidays from 10:00hrs to 14:00hrs.