EC launches plan to re-organise polling stations

The Electoral Commission has embarked on a two week exercise of reorganising polling stations ahead of the 2021 general elections.

It is projected that the total number of polling stations in the country will jump to about 35,000 from 28,000 stations in the previous general elections held in 2016 with the exercise alone costing about Shs 10 billion.

Speaking to the media at the launch of the exercise, the chairperson Electoral Commission Justice Simon Byabakama noted that the exercise is aimed at sensitising the masses on the forthcoming exercise of demarcation of electoral areas including re-organisation of polling stations

“We shall sensitize on the upcoming exercises of demarcation of electoral areas as well as the re-organisation of polling stations across the country,” he said.

He noted that the re-organisation of the polling stations is step on the lead exercise and the commission role is to facilitate this process.

“The purpose of the organisation of polling stations is to ensure that each parish has an electoral area  in accordance with section 33 of the electoral commission act," he said.

He noted that electoral commission will also ensure that where there is need of emerging some polling stations will be done.

"To ensure that where possible polling stations that have far less than the optimum number of people voters are merged,"he said.