Electoral Commission Advocates for Early Voting for Essential Workers

The Electoral Commission (EC) has renewed its call to Parliament to amend electoral laws to allow essential workers to vote before polling day.

This proposal was reiterated during a regional stakeholder engagement in Jinja by Commissioner Stephen Tashobya, who highlighted the disenfranchisement of essential workers unable to exercise their constitutional right to vote due to work commitments.

Tashobya pointed out that individuals such as election officials, security personnel, medics, and journalists are often on duty on polling days, making it challenging for them to participate in the electoral process.

“Among the reforms we have presented to Parliament is the proposal to allow essential workers to vote prior to polling day,” Tashobya said.

He emphasized that many modern democracies, and other states in Africa, including Rwanda, Kenya, and Namibia, have adopted similar systems, urging Uganda to follow suit.

The call was further amplified by Lt. Col. Victor Kabigumira, the UPDF Political Commissar in the Busoga subregion, who expressed concern over the inability of security personnel to vote due to their election-day duties.

“This proposal has been submitted to Parliament, and we really appeal to Members of Parliament to look at it favorably because we are disenfranchised—our constitutional right to vote is compromised,” he said.

He added that in the previous general elections, he was unable to vote for his preferred presidential candidate, despite having a choice.

“We hope that Parliament and the government push this proposal so that we can be facilitated to exercise our right to vote for our leaders as people who manage elections,” Tashobya stressed.

In addition to advocating for early voting, Tashobya cautioned politicians against the increasing commercialization of elections, citing a survey conducted after the 2021 general elections.

The survey revealed that some parliamentary candidates spent between Shs 500 million and Shs 1 billion, often selling personal property to finance their campaigns.

Tashobya warned that such practices could lead to annulled elections and costly by-elections.

He cited past incidents, such as in Jinja, where elections were nullified after a candidate was found guilty of bribing voters with Shs 5 million.

Similarly, in Bunyoro, an election was annulled after a candidate distributed money to repair a water source during campaigns.

These annulments led to by-elections costing taxpayers billions of shillings.

“The bribery of one candidate can lead the country to lose over Shs 1 billion in by-elections,” Tashobya said.

Tashobya also discouraged politicians from giving money to voters, warning that it creates a dependency that undermines accountability.

“Some leaders start avoiding their voters when they run out of money, which ultimately affects service delivery,” he noted.

The EC’s proposals and warnings come ahead of the next election cycle, as the Commission urges all stakeholders to prioritize integrity and inclusivity in Uganda’s democratic process.