The chairperson of Electoral commission Justice Byabakama Mugenyi Simon has launched the general update of the National voters, register, 2019 exercise for 2020/2021 Elections held on Thursday 21st November at the EC head quarters in Kampala.
As you are aware, the Electoral commission launched the roadmap in December 2018,and has since conducted several activities, including the stakeholder engagement meeting at national, regional and district level, voter education outreaches and publicity campaigns ,Recruitment of temporary staff at the sub county and parish level during the period July- August 2019, the demarcation of electoral areas from 2nd September to 14th September 2019, the re- organization of polling stations and the verification of the National voters’ register at village level,
The purpose of the reorganization exercise is to place voters at polling stations where they can conveniently cast their votes during elections. The high consultative exercise enable the commission to engage with the electorate which resulted in the consideration of proposals and adoption of recommendations for , among others,the following actions : Rationalising polling stations, creation of new polling stations, renaming polling stations, splitting polling stations, merging polling stations , relocation of polling stations and harmonisation of parish/ward and village .
While the chairperson addressing the media call upon all the citizens to go and register and updating their national voters’ registers, 2019,of 2020/2021 elections.
“I take this opportunity to launch and flagging off the educators to the community to go and informing all the people to go and update their Voters’ register. The national ID will not be enough for the voter to their vote, should be in the national voters’ register to elect. The campaign is started today immediately and will end at 11th December, so I call all people above 18 years to go and update their voters registers”.
“Any people who do not update his registration will not allow to vote, so it is a right time for the citizen to go the polling station to update his registration.
It should be noted the electoral commission should organise the election in 30 days remain to the expiring date of the term.
In accordance with Article 61(1) 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 will conduct a general update of the National voters’ Register, in preparation for the 2020-2021 general elections.
The general update of the national voters’ register will be conducted at update stations as shall be publicised for each parish throughout Uganda fr today Thursday 21st November 1019 to Wednesday 11th December 2019, starting from 8:00am to 6:00pm each of the appointed dates, including weekends.
The registration of citizens are eligible for vote is a person who above 18 years,the update will be a self- reporting exercise in which a person intending to register as a voter, registered voters who wish to transfer to new voting locations will be able to apply for such transfer, the update will also enable registered voters to check and confirm that their particulars,the update exercise should also allow the people to correct any error made by electoral commission.
In the update exercise their is also special registration of interest groups, the national youth voter’s register for elections of youth council and committees, the worker’s voter’s register ,the PWDs voter’s register and the national older persons voters’,register.
As today 21st November 2019, 135 districts, 253 counties, 296 constituencies, 2057 sub counties/towns/municipal divisions, 10011 parishes, 68649 villages, 34236 polling stations and 16435315 registered voters have been registered according to the electoral statistics stand .
The electoral commission appeals to all stakeholders in the electoral process to support the general update exercise and other roadmap activities through enthusiastic participation, and in accordance with the guidelines, which will be issued for each activity.
