Mass voter education programme begins next week

In the week after Nomination Day, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) will commence its Civic and Voter Education programme, aimed at ensuring that electors are aware of the procedures of elections day.

“We’ve been on the ground already in communities, but, in terms of our mass media dissemination of content, we will commence that next week, just after nomination day,” GECOM Public Relations Officer, Yolanda Ward, said on Monday.

The Commission will be utilising all forms of media to get its messages across. First-time voters, especially, will be targeted. Ahead of this, the GECOM, the Guyana Press Association (GPA) and the American Chamber of Commerce in Guyana (AmCham Guyana) will be teaming up to facilitate the training of media operatives for elections-related coverage.

GECOM will collaborate with the GPA for a Luncheon Lecture, today, to prepare journalists for reporting on Nominations Day, while a grant has been provided to AmCham by the United States (US) Embassy, for media training, for Election Day coverage. This training will take place later this month.

Weighing in on the topic of elections back in 2019, US Ambassador to Guyana, Sara-Ann Lynch underscored the importance of civic education and noted that Embassy remains open to discussions on same. “We would be happy to have such discussions with the government if they are interested,” Ambassador Lynch said while adding the US is involved in elections observation, civic education and even political debates on issues of national interest.

Meanwhile, in December, the Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD) held a one-day conference to draft a voter education plan for the disability community. The Council has encouraged the Commission to consider conducting separate sensitization sessions for Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) through their associated organisations to allow them a better chance at independent voting on elections day.