May 11, 2020
The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is actively reconsidering the validity of spoilt and rejected ballots during the recount, according to Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward.
This was revealed during the tabulation process yesterday when the clerk reading the information on the statements of recount for one polling station, noted that two ballots which were rejected at the polling station are now being considered valid, and are being counted. The voters had placed the X on the party symbol instead of in the box provided, but GECOM decided that the ballots should be considered valid as the voters’ intentions were clear.
This would have the effect, for some ballot boxes, of having results on the statements of recount that are different from the corresponding statements of poll.
Asked about this matter during a media briefing outside of the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, GECOM’s Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward explained that the rejected ballots are being reconsidered, and will be considered valid once the intention of the voter is clear.
She said there may be instances where the vote was marked on the symbol or on the side of the box, and would be rejected at the close of poll.
“We have an opportunity here to correct that particular instance.”
This would not have been done, had the recount been a purely numerical one. The main opposition party had advocated for the count to be numerical to save time, but Ward said that this matter shows why it was necessary to have a proper examination of the boxes.
“Hence, it’s important for us not just to focus on the ballots in the box, but also taking into consideration the other envelopes that are part of that box.”
“You now see a critical reason why that is very important… Once the intention is clear, that ballot is valid,” Ward said.