The Electoral Commission (EC) has launched the nationwide issuance of Voter Location Slips (VLS) as part of preparations for Uganda’s 2026 General Elections, aiming to make voting easier and more secure.
The slips are meant to help voters confirm their registration details and quickly locate their designated polling stations before election day. Each VLS carries a voter’s photograph, names, date of birth, and full polling location details, from district or city to the specific polling station.
A unique barcode embedded on every slip will be scanned by Biometric Voter Verification (BVV) machines during voting to authenticate voters.
The distribution exercise, which started on 15 December 2025, will run until 13 January 2026 and is being conducted at parish and ward levels.
Voters are required to collect their slips personally from Parish or Ward Supervisors, who are Electoral Commission staff. The Commission has emphasized that the slips are free of charge and should not be handled by third parties.
The Voter Location Slip will be used across all stages of the 2026 electoral cycle, including presidential and parliamentary elections, district and city leadership races, municipality and city division elections, as well as sub-county and town council polls.
To support the process, the Commission has procured 109,142 Biometric Voter Verification Kits (BVVK) for nationwide deployment.
The kits rely on fingerprint and facial recognition technology to verify voter identity and block multiple voting.
Electoral Commission Chairperson Justice Byabakama Mugenyi Simon said the system is designed to protect the vote.
“The system will enable the Commission to ensure that only registered persons vote during the elections and that such persons do not vote more than once for the same election, hence it will help the Commission achieve the One-Man/Woman-One Vote principle,” Byabakama said.
The Commission also held a public demonstration of the BVVK to familiarize stakeholders with polling-day procedures and the use of biometric technology.
According to Byabakama, the exercise is intended to “promote understanding of how technology enhances the credibility, integrity, and efficiency of elections,” while assuring the public that measures are in place to prevent impersonation and other electoral malpractices.
The Electoral Commission has encouraged voters to collect their Voter Location Slips early to ensure a smooth and timely voting process in the 2026 General Elections.
