Giddings’ Server Removal Puts GECOM’s Election Data Security Under Scrutiny

The testimony of former Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) IT Manager Aneal Giddings in the trial arising from Guyana’s disputed 2020 General and Regional Elections has raised questions about who had authority over critical election technology, how the server was secured during a bomb scare, and what independent safeguards existed to verify the integrity of election data.

Giddings testified that he removed the server from the Ashmin’s Building on March 5, 2020, believing it was his duty to protect GECOM’s information. He acknowledged, however, that he did so without authorisation and contrary to instructions from then Deputy Chief Elections Officer Roxanne Myers, placing the server in his personal vehicle before later returning it.

The evidence does not establish that Giddings manipulated election information. He denied stealing the server or information from it. But the circumstances raise questions about authority, chain of custody, physical security and independent verification.