KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda’s electoral body on Wednesday announced a revised schedule for several special interest group elections and began a monthlong nationwide distribution of voter location slips ahead of the 2026 general elections.
The Electoral Commission adjusted polling dates for representatives of people with disabilities, workers and youth. Justice Byabakama Mugenyi Simon, the commission chairperson, said the changes aim to ensure these specific groups can participate in both the general universal adult suffrage elections and their respective electoral colleges without conflict.
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Under the new schedule, the national conference for the election of representatives for persons with disabilities to Parliament has been moved from Jan. 19 to Feb. 3, 2026. Conversely, the election for workers’ representatives was moved forward two days to Jan. 19.
While special interest dates shifted, Byabakama confirmed that the schedule for presidential and regular parliamentary elections remains unchanged.
To address long-standing complaints regarding voter confusion, the commission also launched the distribution of voter location slips. The exercise, which began Monday and runs through Jan. 13, 2026, provides voters with a physical document featuring their photograph, personal details and exact polling station.
These slips are free of charge and must be collected in person at parish or ward headquarters.
The commission emphasized that while the slips assist in locating stations and speed up the process, only individuals appearing on the official polling day register will be allowed to vote.
The announcement came during a public demonstration of the commission’s new biometric voter verification system. The body has acquired more than 109,000 biometric kits designed to authenticate voters using fingerprints and facial recognition.
Byabakama said the technology is a critical safeguard against impersonation and multiple voting.
The system will match voter details at the polling station to ensure we achieve the principle of one person, one vote, Byabakama told representatives of political parties and civil society organizations.
The biometric kits will be deployed across all polling stations for four rounds of voting, including presidential, parliamentary and local government council elections.
