Kampala
The Electoral Commission (EC) has made adjustments to polling dates for elections of representatives of Special Interest Groups (SIGs) as part of ongoing preparations for the 2026 General Elections.
Announcing the changes on Wednesday, Electoral Commission chairperson Justice Byabakama Mugenyi Simon said the revised dates are intended to allow members of the special interest groups to effectively participate in both the electoral college elections and the general elections under universal adult suffrage.
“These adjustments have been made to harmonise the electoral calendar and ensure that members of special interest groups are able to fully participate in the electoral process without conflict,” Justice Byabakama said.
Under the revised schedule, the National Conference for the election of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) representatives to Parliament will take place on February 3, 2026, while elections of SIG councillors representing youths, older persons and PWDs at sub-county, town and municipal division levels will be held on January 30, 2026. The National Conference for the election of Workers’ representatives to Parliament will be conducted on January 19, 2026, while the National Conference for the election of the National Female Youth Representative to Parliament will be held on February 6, 2026. Regional conferences for the election of Regional Youth Representatives to Parliament will take place on January 28, 2026.
Justice Byabakama clarified that polling dates for all other elective positions remain unchanged, as earlier issued by the Commission.
Biometric voter verification
As part of measures to enhance the transparency and credibility of the electoral process, the Electoral Commission has acquired 109,142 Biometric Voter Verification Kits (BVVKs), which will be deployed across the country during the 2025/2026 General Elections.
“These biometric kits will be used at all polling stations to verify voters using fingerprints and facial recognition, ensuring that only registered voters participate and that no one votes more than once,” Justice Byabakama said.
He explained that the biometric system will enable presiding officers to confirm a voter’s identity against the voters’ register at each polling station, reinforcing the principle of one man or one woman, one vote.
“The use of biometric technology is intended to minimise impersonation, multiple voting and other electoral malpractices,” he added.
The EC chairperson said the Commission is currently training election officials from the national level down to polling stations to ensure smooth operation of the kits on polling day. A public demonstration of the biometric voter verification system has also been organised to allow stakeholders to observe and understand how the technology works.
What voters should note
Justice Byabakama further revealed that the Commission has commenced the issuance of Voter Location Slips (VLS) across the country, an exercise that started on December 15, 2025, and will run until January 13, 2026.
“The voter location slip is intended to help voters easily locate their respective polling stations on polling day,” he said.
Each slip bears a voter’s photograph, names, date of birth and polling station details, as well as a unique barcode that will be scanned by the biometric verification machines on polling day.
The slips will be used in all four rounds of voting during the 2026 General Elections, including presidential, parliamentary and local government elections.
Justice Byabakama emphasised that voter location slips are issued free of charge and should only be collected in person from parish or ward supervisors, who are employees of the Electoral Commission.
“We urge voters to collect their slips early and keep them safely, ensuring that the barcode is not tampered with,” he said.
He also noted that only voters whose particulars appear on the polling day register will be issued with a voter location slip during the exercise.
