Electoral Commission Annouces Dates For 2026 Polls

Ugandans will cast their votes between January 12 and February 9 in the 2026 general polls, the Electoral Commission has announced.

This was confirmed on Wednesday, July 31, when Justice Simon Byabakama unveiled a roadmap for the polls. The announcement by the Electoral Commission confirmed that nominations will run from September 17, 2025. The nomination program, which will accommodate all elective positions, will run until October 3, 2025.

Before the nomination dates, the Electoral Commission is expected to unveil a database of newly demarcated polling stations. It should be remembered that the National Census announced a rise in Uganda’s population to 45.9 million. With this in mind, the Commission announced plans to demarcate polling stations.

Ideally, the demarcation should have already been completed. However, the EC noted that several cities and districts were created after the 2021 polls. The overhaul will include relocating, renaming, establishing, and combining polling stations. This aims to decrease travel distances, alleviate congestion, and address newly formed parishes. Polling stations will move to more suitable locations.

Electoral Commission announces new polling stations

The total number of stations is expected to rise by over 6,000. In the last polls, the Electoral Commission managed 34,000 stations. However, this is expected to rise to over 40,000.

Similarly, the Electoral Commission has updated local council population quotas nationwide. A sub-county or town/municipal division now needs 30,000 residents. City divisions, including Kampala Capital City Authority, require 100,000 residents, up from 50,000. City divisions or municipalities need at least 15,000 people for forward status, up from 6,000.

Parishes must have a minimum of 12,000 residents, an increase from 10,000. Town councils and municipal wards now need at least 7,000 people, up from 3,000. The Commission also announced an increase of about 400,000 electoral positions. During the 2021 polls, Ugandans voted to fill 2.9 million positions. However, in 2026, that number will rise to 3.3 million.

“The Commission, in compliance with the Local Government Act, is set to commence the demarcation of electoral areas for the 2025-2026 local government council elections. This exercise aims to clearly define the areas of representation for directly elected councillors, women councillors, and councillors representing special interest groups.” Justice Byabakama said.