The reorganization of polling stations and demarcation of electoral areas ahead of the 2021 general elections kicked off on 2 September, 2019 in Luweero District and the process is expected to run until 14 September, 2019.
According to the Electoral Commission, polling stations with more than 1200 voters in the city area and 900 voters elsewhere will be split in the reorganization exercise. Some Polling stations will be split alphabetically, merged, relocated, renamed and new ones created to ease voter access.
The Electoral Commission is running this exercise in accordance with Section 12 (1) (d) of the Electoral Commission Act, (Cap 140), which mandates the Commission to establish and operate Polling Stations, for purposes of elections.
Basis of Reorganization
- Every Parish/Ward and Electoral Area must have at least one Polling Station.
- The Administrative units especially Parishes/Wards/Electoral Areas at Sub County level need to be captured and aligned with the corresponding Polling Stations.
- Where no Polling Station exists in a newly created Parish/Ward, at least one Polling Station MUST be recommended by the Stakeholders in that area with due regard to the convenience of its location.
- Each Polling Station should have voters as close to the optimum number of 900 voters as possible.
- Locations of Polling Stations may need to change due to recent developments since the 2016 General Elections. These developments may be new roads, internal displacement and resettlements, new power stations or where physical development has taken place.
The Electoral Commission also promises to merge polling stations in areas where a Parish has more than two polling stations and the total number of Polling Stations for the 2 does not exceed 900 voters except if issues like long distance come into play.
Methodology of Reorganization
Polling Stations with a voter population of more than 900 voters (or 1,200 in Kampala and Wakiso) shall be split into two or more polling stations.
- Split the Polling Station according to their Village of residence and proximity to Polling Stations.
- Consider the convenience of the distances to be traveled by the voters, relocate, rename and create accordingly.
- Ensure that the Polling Station relocated and created, has a clear and appropriate name; depicting the name and location of the Polling Station.
Polling Stations clustered into polling centers originally split on the basis of the alphabet shall be rationalized, then split and relocated considering Villages where voters come from, and the optimum number of voters per Polling Station shall apply. This may, or may not warrant creation of an additional Polling Station. However, if the Polling Stations have more than 900 voters, for example having Polling Stations: Zinga (A-M) with 1,000 voters, Zinga (N-O) with 935 voters and Zinga (P-Z) with 1,050 voters the following should be done:
- Collapse the 3 Polling Stations into 1 so as to determine the total number of voters in that Polling Centre.
- Since all Polling Stations have more than the optimum, divide the total number of voters in the Polling Stations to obtain the number of Polling Stations at that Polling Centre.
If the Polling Centre has more than one Village:
- Rationalize the Polling Stations by Village i.e. Split the Polling Stations according to their Village of residence and proximity to Polling Stations.
- Ensure that the Polling Station relocated and created, has a clear and appropriate name.
According to the Electoral Commission road map, the next presidential and parliamentary elections will be held between January 11 and February 9, 2021. Campaigns for Presidential candidates will kick off on September 2nd, 2020 to January 9th, 2021 whereas the Parliamentary candidates will campaign from August 16, 2020- January 9, 2021 and local government candidates from July 30, 2020-January 9, 2021.
