Start voter education ahead of 2021
The 2016 General Election highlighted an increased voter turnout of 67.6 per cent. This was as a result of deliberate voter education and civic campaigns that were conducted across the country.
The Electoral Commission (EC) recently rolled out national voter registration and validation exercise across the country and it brought forward the need for deliberate voter education ahead of the 2021 electoral cycle. Ugandans need to understand and appreciate their role in the electoral process. They need to know their rights and duties as voters.
In the 2016 General Election, 477,319 votes were invalid, Uganda experienced its first social media blackout, lack of media coverage for Opposition leaders and arbitrary arrests on election day.
Until citizens realise that elections are far beyond casting the ballot, but active participation in the process as it unfolds, the elections season in Uganda will continually present recurring problems and challenges for the electorate.
The Democratic Party president, Mr Norbert Mao, recently suggested that there should be a boycott of the 2021 General Elections and let Mr Museveni run the race alone. He equated elections in Uganda to a one-man match where the player is also the referee to the game. In other words, the electoral cycle in Uganda is only, but a ceremonial event.
While Mr Mao has influence on some voters, his remarks should be seen as a wake-up call to the need for deliberate voter education even in the on-going national voter registration exercise.
Article 61(10) of the Constitution mandates the EC to carry out voter education. The EC needs to be actively engaging citizens, especially in rural areas, in order to create understanding and relevance of the electoral process to many Ugandans.
The EC needs to actively roll out strategies of mobilising citizens to get involved in the electoral cycle long before the campaigns and voting.
Community voter engagement exercises ahead of 2021 elections will help in equipping masses with what is expected of them and how they can exercise their mandate provided in Article 1(1) of the Constitution saying all power belongs to the people who shall exercise their sovereignty. The EC should actively share info commercials, prepare for the possible scenarios that could be present in the electoral cycle.
The national voter registration exercise is a great avenue to champion civic participation and provide basic education for citizens on how to engage in the electoral process to help Ugandans to register and verify their names on the voters register and also to be firmly aware of the electoral cycle as it continues to unravel.
Communities are eager to engage in the election process, especially the youth who make the bigger percentage of the country but also who have a great stake in the coming election.
Therefore, the mandate of the people needs to be echoed now more than ever to remind Ugandans that the decision to make Uganda thrive beyond General Elections 2021 gis in their power.
