–Chief Justice rules; says PNCR member’s application was an attempt to disenfranchise voters
In a comprehensive ruling delivered on Thursday, Acting Chief Justice Roxane George, SC, affirmed that Guyanese citizens are not legally required to reside at a specific address to be registered on the National Register of Registrants (NRR) or to vote at General and Regional Elections.
The judgment was handed down in response to a case filed by PNCR’s Chief Scrutineer, Carol Smith-Joseph, who sought to compel the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to conduct a House-to-House verification of individuals listed on the NRR.
The NRR is a database maintained by GECOM, and serves as the official record of eligible voters for General and Regional Elections.
Smith-Joseph argued that some individuals had registered using addresses where they did not actually reside, including locations that were uninhabited or contained dilapidated structures.
However, Chief Justice George dismissed these claims, noting that Smith-Joseph provided “not a shred of evidence” to substantiate examples of these.
In her ruling, Justice George pointed out that the PNCR member’s application was an attempt to disenfranchise electors, confirming that there is no statutory basis for linking voting eligibility to continuous residence in a specific location.
