Justice Simon Byabakama, the chairperson of the Electoral Commission, has addressed a major concern for voters, invalid votes. Speaking in detail to election observers as key stakeholders in the fourth coming polls, just hours away, Byabakama explained why votes are declared invalid, how voter intention is recognized, and what measures the Commission has put in […]
Justice Simon Byabakama, the chairperson of the Electoral Commission, has addressed a major concern for voters, invalid votes.
Speaking in detail to election observers as key stakeholders in the fourth coming polls, just hours away, Byabakama explained why votes are declared invalid, how voter intention is recognized, and what measures the Commission has put in place to protect voters’ rights.
“The law provides that as long as the intention of the voter can be understood, a vote is valid. Even if the tick or mark is outside the box, it is still recognized. I have seen situations where the tick crosses from one box to another. Even in such cases, the vote is valid. This is what we have emphasized in our training programs for presiding officers.” Byabakama said
Byabakama described how some voters deliberately render their votes invalid: “There are people who deliberately render their vote invalid because the law says there are two recognized marks. Some write either ‘my man’ or ‘our man.’ Yet the law is very clear. Others take the candidate of their choice and put a cross on the others. They knew what they were doing. Some voters get a bad ballot paper or write the name without marking, but these are deliberate or intentional processes.”
He explained that presiding officers are trained to respect the voter’s intention: “In this training, we have emphasized that presiding officers should not surrender or declare a ballot paper invalid simply because the person did not put the mark in the designated space. He further stated that the law is clear, if the person puts the mark or thumbprint on the picture of the candidate, the symbol, or the name, the intention of the voter can clearly be decided. That vote is not invalid.”
Byabakama also addressed cases where candidates have voluntarily withdrawn from the race: “Where such a scenario occurs, the commission must ensure that voters are adequately notified at the polling station. First of all, we put up a notice at every polling station indicating that certain candidates have withdrawn or designated their profiles for specific elections. Therefore, voters should not give their vote to these candidates. That is one way of doing it. The other is, as I have seen in practice, the presiding officer, when handing over the ballot paper to the voter, verbally informs them that certain candidates are no longer in the race. Don’t cast your vote for them. It would be wasted.”
He further said that the law protects voters who make minor errors: “We have also stressed that if a tick is slightly outside the box but still within the line of the box, it should not be declared invalid. Even if the mark crosses into another candidate’s box, the intention of the voter is what matters. The presiding officer should ensure the vote is counted correctly.”
Justice Byabakama mentioned that voter education and proper training are critical: “Our presiding officers are trained to recognize valid votes even when the mark or thumbprint is not placed in the exact prescribed area. We aim to counter misinformation and disinformation that could confuse voters or lead to invalidation of valid votes.”
He noted that invalid votes are often the result of deliberate actions or misunderstanding.
“As a Commission, we want every voter to know that as long as your intention is clear, your vote will count. Whether you mark the candidate’s symbol, name, or photo, the law protects your choice. It is only when intention cannot be determined that a vote may be considered invalid.” he said
Ugandans go to the polls officially on Thursday January 15th . 2026 to elect their leaders starting with Presidential, directly elected and Woman MPs. According to the National Voter’s Register that has been made public, 21.6 million Ugandans are registered to cast their ballot, with more women recorded.
