2026 polls: How to use NIN to tell your polling station

2026 GENERAL ELECTIONS

KAMPALA - With less than two weeks to the casting of votes in the 2026 General Election, many Ugandans are unaware of where they are going to exercise their constitutional right of choosing their political leaders.

Well, you might think that it is obvious, but it isn't.

It is for this reason that the Electoral Commission (EC) has put in place modalities, including using your NIN (National Identification Number) for Ugandans to find out where they are officially supposed to vote from.

EC has already started issuing Voter Location Slips (VLS) to voters across the country.

The VLS issuance, which is taking place between December 15, 2025 and January 13, 2026, at the Parish/Ward level across the country, is intended to help voters easily identify and locate their respective polling stations on polling day.

Each Voter Location Slip contains a voter’s particulars, including the photograph, names, date of birth, and polling location details, namely the district, constituency, sub-county, parish, and polling station.

The VLS also bears a unique barcode, which will be read by the Biometric Voter Verification Kits (BVVK) deployed at all polling stations.

The VLS, according to EC, will be used by voters during the following elections under the General Elections:

1. Presidential and Parliamentary;

2. District/City Chairpersons and Councillors;

3. Municipality/City Division Chairpersons and Councillors; and,

4. Sub-county/Town/Municipal Division Chairpersons and Councillors.

The Voter Location Slip is issued free of charge and should be collected in person by the voter from the parish/ward supervisor, who is an employee of the Electoral Commission.

Only voters whose particulars appear on the Polling Day Register will be issued a VLS during this exercise.

All registered voters are, therefore, encouraged to collect their VLS from their respective Parish Headquarters and to keep it safely to avoid damage or tampering with the barcode.

You can also confirm your polling station online using your National Identification Number (NIN) at: https://www.ec.or.ug/register/