Going Digital! Government Proposes Mandatory Electronic Voting Starting 2026
The government of Uganda is moving to implement compulsory electronic voting in the 2026 General Elections to enhance transparency and promote free and fair elections.
This has been confirmed by the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Norbert Mao saying that the move is meant to address vote rigging and irregularities and President Museveni is in support of the proposal.
“I took proposals to the Cabinet to make electronic voting compulsory. It is a very radical idea in a democratic country. Fortunately, it has the full support of the president of Uganda,” Mao said while addressing the media in Kampala.
Mao who also doubles as the President General of the Democratic Party further called upon Ugandans for to support this initiative, emphasizing the need to tackle issues such as vote stuffing.
Under the proposed electronic voting system, voters would use various biometric methods, including fingerprints, eyelid scans, and facial recognition technology.
The objective is to ensure the voting process is secure and accurate, preventing unauthorized use of voter locator slips.
In August this year , the Electoral Commission (EC) launched the roadmap for the 2026 general elections, along with the strategic plan for the years 2022/2023-2026/2027.
Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi explained that the plans aim to enhance operational efficiency, stakeholder awareness, and participation, while also strengthening organizational and staff capacity planning.
Recently, Paul Bukenya, spokesperson for the Electoral Commission, highlighted the commission’s commitment to technology.
He noted that processes and systems would continue to be driven by technology, incorporating activities such as mapping out polling areas, voter registration, preparation of registers, printing, ballot paper preparation, result counting and transmission, and voter identification on polling day.
Bukenya also mentioned the increased use of digital and online communications and social media to improve transparency and efficiency in the electoral process.
The government is determined to embrace technology and overcome the challenges associated with traditional voting systems, ensuring a more effective and accurate election method in Uganda.
