EC: Voters to Cast Ballots without National ID if Listed on
By Agencies
Kampala
The Chairman of Uganda’s Electral Commission, Justice Simon Byabakama
has said that registered voters will be allowed to vote in the 2026 general elections even if they do not have a national identity card, as long as their names and photographs appear on the official voters’ register.
In a statement issued at the end of the year, the commission’s chairperson, Simon Byabakama, said the photo-bearing National Voters’ Register will be the sole basis for determining voter eligibility during polling for the presidential and parliamentary elections.
“All those persons whose particulars and photographs appear on the Voters’ Register shall be eligible to vote at the polling station where they are registered, whether they have a National Identity Card or not,” Byabakama said.
The clarification comes amid concerns in previous elections that some voters could be disenfranchised due to lack of national identity cards or related documentation.
The voters’ register contains the names of 21,681,491 registered voters, arranged alphabetically by surname and displayed at 50,739 polling stations nationwide, according to the electoral body.
The commission said the register is intended to help candidates, through their accredited agents, ensure that only eligible voters participate in the election and only at their designated polling stations.
It also aims to keep candidates, political parties and the electorate informed about voters’ registration status and voting locations.
Election officials said soft copies of the national voters’ register have already been issued to presidential candidates in line with the law, and that hard copies of the photo-bearing register will also be provided to them.
The commission urged candidates to mobilise their supporters who are registered voters to prepare to vote, while appealing for calm and peaceful conduct as the country enters the final weeks of the campaign period ahead of the 2026 polls.
Uganda is expected to hold general elections on January 15, 2026, with authorities repeatedly calling on political actors and the public to adhere to the law to ensure a credible and peaceful electoral process.