| Country: | Guyana |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Previous Election: | 1973 Guyanese general election |
| Previous Year: | 1973 |
| Next Election: | 1985 Guyanese general election |
| Next Year: | 1985 |
| Seats For Election: | 53 of the 65 seats in the National Assembly |
| Majority Seats: | 33 |
| Election Date: | 15 December 1980 |
| Turnout: | 82.31% |
| Image1: | Forbes_Burnham_(1966).jpg |
| Leader1: | Forbes Burnham |
| Party1: | People's National Congress (Guyana) |
| Leader Since1: | 13 February 1955 |
| Popular Vote1: | 312,988 |
| Percentage1: | 77.66% |
| Seats1: | 53 |
| Seat Change1: | 16 |
| Swing1: | 7.56pp |
| Leader2: | Cheddi Jagan |
| Leader Since2: | 1 January 1950 |
| Party2: | People's Progressive Party (Guyana) |
| Seats2: | 10 |
| Popular Vote2: | 78,414 |
| Seat Change2: | 4 |
| Percentage2: | 19.46% |
| Swing2: | 7.10pp |
| Image3: | 3x4.svg |
| Leader3: | Marcellus Fielden Singh |
| Leader Since3: | January 1969 |
| Party3: | The United Force |
| Seats3: | 2 |
| Popular Vote3: | 11,612 |
| Percentage3: | 2.88% |
| Swing3: | 0.13pp |
| Map Size: | 250px |
| President | |
| Posttitle: | Elected President |
| Before Election: | Forbes Burnham |
| Before Party: | PNC |
| After Election: | Forbes Burnham |
| After Party: | PNC |
General elections were held in Guyana on 15 December 1980.[1] The result was a victory for the People's National Congress, which won 41 of the 53 directly-elected seats. However, the PNC's victory was the result of fraud as the government had direct control of the elections.[2] Voter turnout was 82.3%.[1]
The elections followed the adoption of a new constitution which changed the presidency from a ceremonial post to an executive one and enlarged the National Assembly. In addition to the existing 53 members elected by proportional representation in a nationwide constituency, the National Assembly was expanded to include ten members appointed by the regional councils, created under the new constitution and elected on the same date as the national members, and two appointed by the National Congress of Local Democratic Organs, an umbrella body representing the regional councils also created by the new constitution.[3]
The President was elected by a first-past-the-post double simultaneous vote system, whereby each list nominated a presidential candidate and the candidate heading the list that received the most votes was elected president.