Members of Guyana’s joint services – police, military and prison – will cast ballots today, August 22, more than a week before the country’s General and Regional Elections, as authorities customarily work to free up security forces to keep order on polling day.
The early vote by the disciplined services involves 10,481 eligible electors, according to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). This allows ranks to be available for deployment across the country when the general population votes on September 1.
While the Guyana Fire Service is also considered a disciplined entity, its personnel will cast their ballots alongside the general electorate on election day.
Disciplined services ballots are expected to be distributed to the relevant polling stations across the country and mixed with other votes to be tallied together after the polls close on Sept. 1.
Guyana’s official list of electors for the 2025 elections includes 757,690 registered voters, spread across nearly 2,800 polling stations.
President Irfaan Ali’s People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) is seeking re-election, challenged by five opponents.
The main opposition parties, which formed the previous government in 2015-2020, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Alliance for Change (AFC), have since decided to run separately.
Azruddin Mohamed, a former PPP donor, leads the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party. Now sanctioned by the United States for tax evasion and bribery of public officials, Mohamed’s populist stance and support base could challenge the typical dominance of the polls by the establishment parties.
Two defectors from APNU have gone on to lead Forward Guyana (FG) and the Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity (ALP) parties.
Nearly 700 observers representing about 20 organizations have been accredited to monitor this year’s process, according to GECOM. International groups sending missions include the Carter Center, the Commonwealth and the Organization of American States.
GECOM has been meeting with stakeholders, including observers, political parties, and the press, to outline the Election Day process and ensure it goes smoothly. The management of the election will be closely monitored after Guyana’s controversial 2020 electoral process led to a months-long political crisis.
Largely viewed as a struggle over who controls Guyana’s new oil wealth, the stakes now are even greater. Guyana’s oil production continues to increase annually, and so does its revenues from the sector. The country has seen years of double-digit economic growth, with more oil-fueled expansion expected in the future.
