With just one week before Guyanese head to the polls, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is reporting a high, 83 per cent, turnout in the Disciplined Forces balloting, even as the Commission has flagged some issues with ballot sets in three districts, including District Four.The turnout by service was as follows:Army: 2,575 of 3,100 eligible ranks votedPolice: 5,727 of 6,909 eligible ranks votedPrison Service: 397 of 466 eligible officers votedIn 2020, Disciplined Forces polling saw an 81.8 per cent turnout.Chief Elections Officer Vishnu Persaud, speaking at a press conference on Monday, said the voting exercise on August 22 for members of the police, army and prison services was conducted “in compliance with the laws” despite minor glitches early in the day. He emphasised that there were no reports to cast doubt on the credibility of the process.However, Persaud disclosed that during the sorting process, officials identified discrepancies with the ballots for District Four, where two extra ballots were found in one set. He explained that one ballot was short in District Five and another was short in District Ten.“Interrogation led to the point where we zoned in on what could have caused the problem,” Persaud said, noting that a formal memorandum is being prepared to submit to the seven-member Commission, along with recommendations on how to correct the issue. He declined to comment further until the Commission deliberates.When asked why GECOM could not balance the ballots, the CEO clarified that it was not a case of missing votes.“All ballots went out and all came back in,” he said.Persaud explained that each ballot is issued in an envelope containing the elector’s particulars, along with a smaller envelope labelled with the district where it must be counted. Polling staff were instructed to insert their ballots into the inner, district-marked envelope, but many instead returned them in the outer envelope.Chief Elections Officer of GECOM, Vishnu Persaud (Photo: News Room/August 25, 2025)“We cannot send the outer envelope for intermixing as it compromises the secrecy of the ballot,” Persaud explained.After reviewing the matter from every angle, he said the only logical conclusion is that ballots meant for Districts Five and Ten were mistakenly placed in the envelope for District Four, creating the imbalance.On preparations for election day, Persaud confirmed that staffing at all levels—from Returning Officers to polling day staff—is in place, although he acknowledged challenges with persons declining appointments as presiding officers, prompting GECOM to find replacements.The Commission’s logistics plan, he said, is unfolding as expected, with no major hiccups anticipated. GECOM has also put a chain of command in place to allow for swift responses to any emergencies, citing the quick action taken following the accident on the night of the disciplined services balloting as an example.Persaud also outlined measures for the close of poll on election day, including the posting of Statements of Poll at every station and the secure transportation of ballot boxes and Statements of Poll, escorted by police and accompanied by GECOM staff.The post 83% turnout for Disciplined Forces vote appeared first on News Room Guyana.