The training was aimed at equipping election officials with the knowledge and procedures required to conduct a free, fair and orderly electoral process at the village level, including the compilation of the village voters' register and the management of polling activities.
Speaking after the training, Presiding Officer Elizabeth Namirembe described the exercise as successful, saying the officials are now fully prepared to oversee the voter registration exercise and the subsequent elections.
"We have successfully trained our village and parish election officials, and they are now prepared to carry out their responsibilities professionally," Namirembe said.
She announced that voter registration will run from Monday, July 6, to Friday, July 10, and urged all eligible residents to register within the stipulated period.
"I call upon every eligible voter to come and register during the scheduled period. Anyone who fails to register will not be eligible to vote in the LC I elections," she said.
Namirembe stressed that only people whose names appear in the official village voters' register will be allowed to participate in the elections.
"It does not matter whether someone is a resident of the village. If your name is not in the voters' register, you will not be allowed to vote. The register will be the only reference during polling," she warned.
She said the registration exercise is intended to produce an accurate village voters' register that will be used during the election of Local Council I leaders.
Meanwhile, elections for village women representatives will be conducted concurrently with the LC I elections.
However, unlike the general village register, the register for women representatives will be based on voters who were already registered during the recently concluded general elections.
Despite the preparations, some members of the public expressed concern over the voting method to be used during the elections, arguing that the traditional lining-up system compromises the secrecy of the ballot and could expose voters to intimidation.
"We believe the Electoral Commission should have considered using ballot papers instead of lining up. The lining-up system exposes voters' choices and may intimidate some people," one resident said.
Other residents said they were ready to register and participate in the elections but appealed to the Electoral Commission to review the voting method in future to strengthen public confidence and better protect voters' freedom of choice.
Electoral Commission officials, however, encouraged residents not to be discouraged by the voting method and instead ensure they register within the registration period to avoid missing the opportunity to elect their village leaders.
The LC I elections are expected to play a key role in strengthening grassroots leadership and community governance across Kayunga District.