By Mulengera Reporters
The Electoral Commission (EC) has displayed new regulations drafted by Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Norbert Mao, concerning the use of a biometric voter verification system for the 2025 presidential, parliamentary, and local council elections. These regulations published on EC’s X platform as Statutory Instrument 2025 No. 98, are a crucial step toward ensuring a secure and transparent election process.
The regulations provide a detailed framework for using biometric technology at all polling stations to verify voter identities through facial recognition and fingerprint scanning. This technology aims to prevent voter impersonation and other electoral fraud, ensuring that only registered voters are allowed to cast ballots.
Under the new rules, voters will present either their national identification card or voter location slip to presiding officers at polling stations. The officers will scan these documents using a biometric verification kit to confirm the voter’s identity. If successful, the voter will then place their fingerprint on the scanner for further verification. In cases where the fingerprint scan fails, facial recognition will serve as a secondary method of verification.
For voters without a national ID or location slip, presiding officers will manually check the electoral register and then use the biometric kit to verify the voter’s details. Once verified, the voter will be issued a ballot paper.
The regulations also set out strict penalties for those who fail to follow the biometric verification procedures. Presiding officers who do not use the biometric voter verification system as required could face fines or imprisonment for up to three months. Additionally, anyone who interferes with the system will be subject to similar legal consequences.
A significant feature of the new regulations is the electronic verification of ballot papers. Before voting begins, presiding officers will scan the unique codes on each ballot to create an inventory of all ballots distributed.
At the close of voting, the same scanner will be used to record the ballots cast, ensuring an accurate tally. Presiding officers will also be required to take an image of the signed declaration of results form, which will be stored in the biometric voter verification kit, further enhancing transparency and accountability in the election process.
The new regulations also make amendments to the 2021 Electoral Commission (Adoption and Manner of Use of Technology in the Management of Elections) Regulations. These changes aim to modernize and streamline election processes by removing outdated provisions and updating the legal framework to align with current technological advancements.
As Uganda prepares for the 2025 elections, the EC is hopeful that these new regulations will help improve the electoral system and provide citizens with greater confidence in the outcome of the elections.
The Electoral Commission of Uganda is an independent institution tasked with overseeing the management and conduct of elections in the country. Its mission is to ensure that elections are conducted in a free, fair, and transparent manner, in line with Uganda’s Constitution and electoral laws.
