Electoral Commission Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama has urged voters taking part in Tuesday’s Local Council I (LC1) elections to remain at their polling stations until the votes have been counted, saying their presence is important to the completion of the electoral process.
Speaking on NBS Television’s Morning Breeze on Monday, Byabakama advised voters not to leave immediately after casting their ballots.
“Do not leave your polling station until the votes have been counted this time round,” Byabakama said.
He explained that staying at the polling station could also give voters an opportunity to serve on their village executive committees.
According to Byabakama, once an LC1 chairperson is elected, they are expected to appoint members of the village executive committee from among eligible voters who are present at the polling station at the end of the voting process.
“The village chairperson can only appoint members to the executive committee from among those who are present at the polling station. If you leave immediately after voting, you deny the chairperson the opportunity to select you to serve on the village executive committee,” he said.
Byabakama said the Electoral Commission had completed preparations for the nationwide elections, including voter registration, display of the voters’ register and other arrangements required for polling day.
The elections will use Uganda’s traditional lining-up system, in which voters queue behind the candidate of their choice, their representative, portrait or symbol.
Voters across the country are expected to elect LC1 chairpersons in all 71,214 villages in an exercise organised and supervised by the Electoral Commission.