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Voter registration should be continuous, not episodic

Electoral Commission officials interact with youth at Kamwokya Market shortly after the official launch of the update of the National Voters Register for the 2026 General Elections on January 20, 2025. PHOTO | DAVID LUBOWA

By  Guest Writer

What you need to know:

  • Voter registration must be continuous, not episodic. We must ensure every eligible citizen has the right to participate in elections, and we will be closely monitoring this exercise to ensure maximum enfranchisement.

As the country goes on with the national voters' register update exercise, I take this opportunity to urge all Ugandan citizens aged 18 and above who are not yet registered to vote, to seize the opportunity to register during the exercise that started on January 20 and will go on up to February 10, 2025, between 8am and 6pm daily, including weekends. 

This is also an opportunity for registered voters to transfer to new voting locations or verify their registration details.

However, this exercise highlights a critical need for continuous and dynamic voter registration in Uganda. 

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To truly enhance electoral participation, we must amend several laws, including the Electoral Commission Act to replace the current periodic registration with year-round registration, introduce electronic or online systems, and better synchronise NIRA’s database with the Electoral Commission. 

Also, amendments to Article 61 of the Constitution should clarify the Commission’s role in maintaining a permanent, dynamic voter register.

In the 2021 election, over 1.2 million first-time voters may have missed the opportunity to register due to early cut-off dates for the national voters' register update. We cannot afford to let that happen again and again.

Voter registration must be continuous, not episodic. We must ensure every eligible citizen has the right to participate in elections, and we will be closely monitoring this exercise to ensure maximum enfranchisement.

Crispin Kaheru

Election Observer and Member

Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC)

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