Ugandans register for 2011 elections
May 03, 2010
THE Electoral Commission (EC) has started updating the national voters’ register in preparation for next year’s general elections.
By Cyprian Musoke
THE Electoral Commission (EC) has started updating the national voters’ register in preparation for next year’s general elections.
Flagging off trucks carrying the kits and materials for the exercise at the EC warehouses in Kyambogo on Saturday, the chairperson, Dr. Badru Kiggundu, said they were targeting 3,500,000 new voters.
“This is not fresh registration of voters, but an exercise to facilitate Ugandan citizens aged 18 years and above who have not had their images and other particulars taken by the EC for purposes of registration for elections to do so,†Kiggundu said.
The commission, he said, has deployed 4,000 update kits, adding that each of them can capture six people per hour, 40 in a day and 1,440 in one month, or over 5 million voters countrywide.
“In case it captures lower than the average, say four people per hour, then it yields 32 people in a day and 960 in a month, which totals to over 3.8 million people in the country. This is still higher than the target of 3.5 million,†he added.
The exercise will be conducted in every parish and ward from 8:00am to 6:00pm every day from today until June 4. It will include the capturing of the photograph, finger prints, signature, name, date of birth, names of parents, area of origin and residence and preferred polling station, Kiggundu explained.
He said persons whose photos do not appear on the national register should turn up to have them taken.
“Registered voters wishing to transfer to new polling locations shall be able to do so, provided they know their previous voting location and registration number,†Kiggundu explained.
He said the EC will provide a copy of the register to polling stations in each parish and ward so that voters confirm their status.
“After the update, data captured shall be added to the current data of 10.5 million voters and subjected to the photographic duplicate analysis,†Kiggundu explained.
“After the integration of the data, the national voters register will be display starting July 20.â€
The commission, Kiggundu added, will continue updating the public on the exercise by writing to political parties, announcing on radios, TVs and in newspapers.
Stakeholder workshops and meetings will also be held on Friday in Kampala, Mbale, Lira, Arua, Mbarara, Masaka, Fort Portal and Soroti districts.
THE Electoral Commission (EC) has started updating the national voters’ register in preparation for next year’s general elections.
Flagging off trucks carrying the kits and materials for the exercise at the EC warehouses in Kyambogo on Saturday, the chairperson, Dr. Badru Kiggundu, said they were targeting 3,500,000 new voters.
“This is not fresh registration of voters, but an exercise to facilitate Ugandan citizens aged 18 years and above who have not had their images and other particulars taken by the EC for purposes of registration for elections to do so,†Kiggundu said.
The commission, he said, has deployed 4,000 update kits, adding that each of them can capture six people per hour, 40 in a day and 1,440 in one month, or over 5 million voters countrywide.
“In case it captures lower than the average, say four people per hour, then it yields 32 people in a day and 960 in a month, which totals to over 3.8 million people in the country. This is still higher than the target of 3.5 million,†he added.
The exercise will be conducted in every parish and ward from 8:00am to 6:00pm every day from today until June 4. It will include the capturing of the photograph, finger prints, signature, name, date of birth, names of parents, area of origin and residence and preferred polling station, Kiggundu explained.
He said persons whose photos do not appear on the national register should turn up to have them taken.
“Registered voters wishing to transfer to new polling locations shall be able to do so, provided they know their previous voting location and registration number,†Kiggundu explained.
He said the EC will provide a copy of the register to polling stations in each parish and ward so that voters confirm their status.
“After the update, data captured shall be added to the current data of 10.5 million voters and subjected to the photographic duplicate analysis,†Kiggundu explained.
“After the integration of the data, the national voters register will be display starting July 20.â€
The commission, Kiggundu added, will continue updating the public on the exercise by writing to political parties, announcing on radios, TVs and in newspapers.
Stakeholder workshops and meetings will also be held on Friday in Kampala, Mbale, Lira, Arua, Mbarara, Masaka, Fort Portal and Soroti districts.