Local Gov’t By-Elections : EC Starts Display Of Voters’ Register

A voter checking for his particulars/Courtesy photo

The display of the National Voters’ Register has started today in preparation for the conduct of Local Government Councils by-elections in various electoral areas across the country where vacancies exist.

Last Thursday, the Electoral Commission Chairperson Simon Mugenyi Byabakama, confirmed November 8, 2021 to Wednesday November 17, 2021 as dates for the exercise.

The purpose of the display is to enable voters check for the correctness of their particulars on the Voters’ Register, confirm that their photographs appear against correct particulars on the Register, raise objections to the inclusion and/or removal of a voter’s particulars from the Register and report to the display officer (those who have died, those who are under 18, those who reside or originate from a parish other than the one they are registered in, and those who appear more than once on the Voters’ Register).

During the exercise, the EC says it will issue temporary Voter Location Slips (VLS) to voters to enable them conveniently locate their respective polling stations on polling day.

After the display exercise, the list of all persons recommended for deletion from the National Voters’ Register shall also be displayed for a period of 6 days from November 18, 2021 to November 22, 2021 at the parish/ward headquarters within the electoral areas.

“The display of the Voters’ Register shall begin at 8:00am and end at 6:00pm at all polling stations in the affected electoral areas on each of the appointed dates, including weekends,” Byabakama said in a statement.

He added: “The purpose of this supplementary display exercise is to enable any person who may have been wrongly recommended for deletion to raise an objection to the Parish/Ward Tribunal. The Paris/Ward Tribunal shall consider and make the final decision concerning recommendations for inclusion, deletion or correction made by the public.”

However, the EC says that all persons participating in the display exercise shall be required to comply with guidelines issued by the Commission in accordance with the Government and Ministry of Health measures against the spread of Covid-19.

These, the EC say include observing the social distancing, hand washing and wearing of masks.