EC Extends National Voters Register Update by Seven Days

By Spurb Ernest

Byabakama clarified that the extension is not a fresh registration but an opportunity for eligible citizens who have not yet registered to do so. It will also allow registered voters to transfer to a new polling station, provided they prove residency or origin, and enable voters to verify and confirm their details at update centers or via the EC website.

The Electoral Commission (EC) has extended the update of the National Voters Register for seven more days to allow more eligible Ugandans to register and update their details ahead of the 2025/2026 General Elections.

Addressing the press in Kampala, EC Chairperson Justice Byabakama Mugenyi Simon announced that the exercise, which was set to end today, will now continue from Tuesday, February 11, to Monday, February 17, 2025, running daily from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM, including weekends.

Byabakama said the extension is in response to concerns raised by key stakeholders and observations made in the field. He urged all unregistered citizens aged 18 and above to take advantage of this opportunity. Since the update exercise began on January 20, 2025, the Commission has registered 361,432 new voters and processed 292,021 transfer applications. 

The total number of registered voters now stands at 19,925,574, up from 18.1 million in the 2020/2021 elections. However, the process has faced challenges, notably limited and aging registration kits from the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), leading to delays in service delivery. Byabakama acknowledged that cases of machine breakdowns and high applicant numbers at update centers have slowed down the exercise. 

Byabakama clarified that the extension is not a fresh registration but an opportunity for eligible citizens who have not yet registered to do so. It will also allow registered voters to transfer to a new polling station, provided they prove residency or origin, and enable voters to verify and confirm their details at update centers or via the EC website (https://ec.or.ug/register). 

The EC will continue updating the register until the Display Exercise scheduled for April-May 2025, after which no further changes will be made. Byabakama appealed to the public to use this final extension, emphasizing that no further deadlines will be granted. He urged all eligible Ugandans to seize this opportunity and ensure they are ready to participate in the upcoming elections.

Opposition party leaders had voiced serious concerns about the voter registration update exercise, questioning its fairness and alleging that the incumbent party is using its position to control the process. The exercise, which includes registration, updating voter information, and transferring polling stations, began on Monday, January 20, and will continue until February 10. 

It operates daily from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, including weekends. However, it had already faced challenges, leading to calls for an extension due to concerns raised. David Lewis Rubongoya, the Secretary General of the National Unity Platform, the largest opposition political party said apart from the little time dedicated to the exercise, the idea of holding the updates at the parish level is a disincentive to many potential voters. 

“The idea of conducting the exercise at the parish level is also not a good one because there are very big parishes and our people can’t walk there. We want the Electoral Commission to conduct this exercise at village level so that all the people are catered for especially since this exercise has been given very few days,” Rubongoya. 

He also expressed displeasure with the decision not to register children who are 17 years old. “We are not happy that the Electoral Commission is not registering people who are not 18 years old. It is very unfair because for sure we know that these people will be 18 years old by the time we go for elections in 2026,” Rubongoya. 

For his part, Democratic Party Vice President Fred Mukasa Mbidde expressed regret that political parties are unable to closely monitor this critical phase of the electoral process.