The Electoral Commission (EC) has clarified that its directive for voters to cast their ballots and immediately leave polling stations ahead of the January 15 elections stems from concerns over voter indiscipline.
Speaking after a meeting with the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda, EC Chair Justice Simon Byabakama said that while the law allows citizens to remain at least 20 metres from polling stations, past experiences have shown that staying behind can threaten the integrity of the electoral process.
“The stay of voters despite the permission of the law is likely to cause risk to the sanctity of the election,” Byabakama said, citing instances where election results from some polling stations were invalidated after individuals who lingered later destroyed election materials.
He stressed that the issue is not legal but behavioral.
“The problem is not the law, it’s the people who are indisciplined. These people can’t keep calm and just look on. They might end up fighting each other at the polling station, leading to destruction of election materials as has happened in the past,” he said.
The remarks come amid calls by opposition leaders, including National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, for voters to remain near polling stations after voting to ensure transparency.
Speaking on New Year’s Day, Kyagulanyi urged voters to arrive early and stay within the legally allowed 20-metre distance after casting their ballots, describing the measure as “vote protection.”
Byabakama, however, insisted such actions are unnecessary, noting that the law already provides for candidate agents who can monitor polling procedures closely.
“The votes are protected by the candidates’ agents provided for in the law. They are close to the polling station and can observe what’s happening, unlike people standing within the 20 metres,” he said.
With less than two weeks to the January 15 elections, it remains unclear how voter presence around polling stations will be managed, as security agencies, including the Uganda Police Force and UPDF, have cautioned against lingering near polling sites to witness voting.
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