KAMPALA – The chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC), Justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi, has said they will not extend the deadline for the update of the national voters’ register.
At a press briefing held at the commission’s headquarters in Kampala on Tuesday, Justice Byabakama said the update of the national voters register started on November 21 and will end on December 11 as planned.
He urged all Ugandans to put to good use the remaining seven days.
The EC chairman was responding to calls by members of the civil society to extend the deadline, arguing that the time allocated for the update of the national voters’ register is too short to accommodate at least 1.3 million people who will turn 18 years after the registration process or before voting day.
But Justice Byabakama said the Electoral Commission Act and the Constitution say every Ugandan becomes an eligible voter when they are 18 years of age at the time of registration, and not at the time of voting.
“Those who will not have turned 18 years of age on December 11 will not be allowed to vote because there are those who will also make 18 on the exact voting day,” he added.
Justice Byabakama said activities undertaken during this exercise include registration of citizens who are eligible to vote, application for transfer of voting location, as well as confirmation of registration particulars.
He said eligible learners should not register afresh but are advised to present themselves at the registration or update centre with their National Identification Numbers in order to specify their preferred polling stations for purposes of voting.
“If your particulars including the photograph appear on the voters’ register and you do not have a national ID, you will be allowed to vote as long as the community can identify you. However, if you have a national ID card and you do not appear on the register, you will not be allowed to vote,” he added.
