KAMPALA, Uganda — Uganda’s Electoral Commission (EC) has clarified that registered voters will be allowed to cast their ballots in the 2026 general elections even if they do not possess a national identity card, provided their names and photographs appear on the official voters’ register.
In an end-of-year statement, EC chairperson Simon Byabakama said the photo-bearing National Voters’ Register will serve as the sole reference for determining voter eligibility during polling for both 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 follows long-standing concerns from previous elections that some citizens could be disenfranchised due to the lack of national identity cards or other documentation.
According to the commission, the current voters’ register contains the names of 21,681,491 registered voters, listed alphabetically by surname and displayed at 50,739 polling stations across the country.
The EC said the register is designed to enable candidates — through their accredited agents — to verify that only eligible voters participate in the election and that voting occurs strictly at designated polling stations.
It also serves to keep political parties, candidates and the electorate informed about voters’ registration status and assigned polling locations.
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Election officials further disclosed that soft copies of the national voters’ register have already been issued to presidential candidates in compliance with the law, and that hard copies of the photo-bearing register will also be provided.
The commission urged candidates to mobilise their supporters who are registered voters to prepare for polling day, while appealing for calm and peaceful conduct as the country enters the final stretch of the campaign period.
Uganda is scheduled to hold its general elections on January 15, 2026, with authorities repeatedly calling on political actors and the public to observe the law to ensure a credible, orderly and peaceful electoral process.
