In accordance with Article 61 (1)(e) of the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda (as amended), and Sections 18 and 19 of the Electoral Commission Act (Cap 140), the Electoral Commission (EC) has started a general update of the national voters’ register, in preparation for the 2020-2021 General Elections, its Chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi has said.
According to Byabakama, the exercise will be conducted at update stations as shall be publicised for each parish throughout Uganda, from November 21, 2019 to Wednesday December 11, 2019, starting from 8:00am to 6:00pm, on each of the appointed dates, including weekends.
“During the General Update exercise, the Electoral Commission will register eligible Ugandan citizens of 18 years and above, who are not yet registered as voters,” said Byabakama on Thursday at the Commission’s head offices in Kampala.
An eligible person who wishes to register as a voter will be able to do so at any of the update centres countrywide where a registration kit will be stationed. However, a person who is already registered as a voter anywhere in Uganda must not register again.
During the update exercise, registered voters who wish to transfer to new voting locations will be able to apply for such transfer. A voter who wishes to transfer to a new voting location will be required to present confirmation that he/she originates from or is, at the time of application for transfer, a resident of the Parish of that (new) voting location. Such applicants should ensure they have details of their previous voting location.
The update exercise will also enable registered voters to check and confirm that their particulars are on the Register at voting locations which they indicated during registration.
Byabakama said his office would display at each update station, the Register of each polling station within the respective Parish/Ward.
During this exercise, the details of learners who were registered under the Learners Project in 2017 and have since attained the age of 18 years will be updated and assigned a polling station within their parish of residence or origin.
The eligible learners will not register afresh but will be required to present themselves at the registration/update centre with their National Identification Number (NIN) in order to specify their preferred polling stations for purposes of voting.
“The Electoral Commission has appointed Wednesday December 11, 2019, as the cut-off date for registration of voters in Uganda. Registration and transfer of voters from one polling station to another within Uganda will not be conducted after this date,” Byabakama said.
After the processing of returns from the reorganisation exercise, Byabakama said the EC has updated its list to the current figure of 34,236 polling stations.
As of November 21, 2019, the number of registered voters was 16,435,315 from 135 districts of Uganda with 34,236 polling stations.
