National IDs will not be a requirement for one to vote in 2021 elections, says EC

The Electoral Commission has revealed that the National Identification will not be used during the forth coming general elections in 2021 but one must have a national identification number or NIN.

The remarks came in the wake of different politicians rallying Ugandans to acquire national identification cards as one of the requirement to vote come 2021.

Among them is the leader of People Power, Robert Kyagulanyi alias Bobi Wine.

The deputy chairperson Electoral Commission Hajjat Aisha Lubega said on Monday during a stakeholders’ meeting held at Imperial Royale Hotel that IDS will not be a prerequisite for one to vote and no one will be allowed to vote if his or she does not appear on the voters’ register.

"Every Ugandan should have an ID but the major, the guiding and the important document that the election commission has to carry out an election exercise is the voters’ register, every voter should ensure that they have been registered as voters," she said.

She noted that for one to be eligible to vote he or she should put the following into consideration.

• One must be a citizen of Uganda with a National Identification number or NIN.

• One should ensure that he or she belongs to an electoral area of residence.

. Verify the polling station he or she will vote.

• Check the details in the National Voters register when it’s displayed.

• If your name is not on the register, present the IDS or NIN to be added during the updates.

She noted that the demarcation of the new electoral areas and reorganisation of polling stations will be conducted on 3rd to 14th September 2019.

“Whatever we demarcate, we display and we expect people to keep on checking on our displayed list to see whether this is exactly what we agreed on,” she said.

She noted that since there is an increase in the population in the country the new created areas have to be fixed as early as possible and the engagement will enhance the credibility of election.

"The demarcation comes as a result one, the numbers has become big ,there has been new creations through Local government, so that changes the status core ,we have to go back to the villages to do new demarcation and reorganisation of polling stations," she said.

Crispy Kaheru, the coordinator of Citizens Coalition for Electoral Democracy in Uganda (CCEDU) noted that in the past the country came face to face with some of the ghost polling areas because many times people don’t pay attention to this kind of important process of demarcating the areas

The next general elections will be held in February 2021.