EC boss assures on biometrics ahead of 2026 polls

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The Electoral Commission (EC) has assured the nation of the deployment of biometric voter verification machines at all polling stations during the 2026 general election.

Justice Simon Byabakama, the EC chairperson, told a press conference in Kampala on Thursday (August 7) that the “thinking has evolved” to make biometric identification of voters mandatory at polling stations.

“Come 2026, the identification and verification of voters at every polling station is going to be mandatory before you are given a ballot paper. The Minister of Justice (Norbert Mao) recently said the law regarding the mandatory use of biometrics is in the offing - in other words, it will soon be made,” he said.

“Currently, the law says the EC may use technology, but the thinking since then has evolved that we should make it mandatory,” the EC boss emphasised.

In April 2025, Mao told the New Vision in an interview that a Bill to reform the country’s electoral laws ahead of the 2026 general election was before Cabinet for consideration.

He said that one of the “most important reforms” was making biometric identification of voters mandatory at polling stations.

“Cabinet has the Bill for consideration to make the Biometric Voter Verification System (BVVS) mandatory. That is the most important reform. We will keep updating you,” he said, and hung up.

BVVS aims at improving the integrity of the electoral process through authentication of voter identity, and the EC has been using it since 2016.

However, where the biometric machines would fail to work, the EC would revert to the national voters’ register to identify voters.

The system uses fingerprints to match voter details, which helps the election officer to confirm that the voter is on the roll of that polling station.