Uganda’s Electoral Commission Seeks Early Voting Rights for Essential Workers

Summary:

• Uganda’s Electoral Commission has urged Parliament to amend laws allowing essential workers, like medics and security personnel, to vote before polling day, citing their inability to participate due to work commitments.

The Electoral Commission (EC) has reiterated its appeal to Parliament to amend electoral laws to enable essential workers to vote ahead of polling day. This recommendation was emphasized during a regional stakeholder meeting in Jinja, where Commissioner Stephen Tashobya underscored the disenfranchisement faced by essential workers unable to vote due to their professional obligations.

Commissioner Tashobya highlighted that several groups, including election officials, security personnel, healthcare workers, and journalists, are often engaged in critical duties on polling days, effectively preventing them from participating in elections.

“Among the reforms we have submitted to Parliament is a proposal to allow essential workers to vote before polling day,” Tashobya said. He noted that this adjustment aligns with practices in other democracies, including Rwanda, Kenya, and Namibia, which have successfully implemented early voting systems for specific groups.

Lt. Col. Victor Kabigumira, the UPDF Political Commissar in the Busoga subregion, echoed this sentiment, expressing frustration over the inability of security personnel to cast their votes due to election-day responsibilities.

“This proposal has been submitted to Parliament, and we sincerely appeal to Members of Parliament to consider it favorably. Our constitutional right to vote is compromised,” he said, adding that he was unable to vote for his preferred presidential candidate during the last general elections.

Kabigumira emphasized the importance of facilitating early voting for those who play critical roles in managing elections, ensuring their inclusion in the democratic process.

In addition to advocating for early voting, Tashobya voiced concerns about the increasing commercialization of elections. Citing findings from a post-2021 general election survey, he revealed that some parliamentary candidates spent between UGX 500 million and UGX 1 billion on campaigns, often resorting to selling personal property to finance their bids.

Tashobya warned that excessive campaign spending and voter bribery could lead to annulled elections and costly by-elections. He referenced cases such as Jinja, where an election was nullified after a candidate bribed voters with UGX 5 million, and another in Bunyoro, where funds were used to repair a water source during campaigns. These incidents resulted in by-elections that cost taxpayers billions of shillings.

“The bribery of one candidate can cause the country to lose over UGX 1 billion in by-elections,” Tashobya explained.

Tashobya also discouraged the practice of giving money to voters, stressing that it fosters dependency and undermines accountability. He pointed out that such actions create a dynamic where leaders avoid engaging with voters once financial resources are depleted, ultimately harming service delivery.

“Leaders who run out of money often distance themselves from their voters, which negatively affects governance,” he noted.

The EC’s calls for early voting and ethical campaign practices come as Uganda prepares for its next election cycle. The Commission is urging all stakeholders to prioritize inclusivity, integrity, and accountability in the electoral process to strengthen Uganda’s democracy.

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