EC Orders Fresh LC1 Polls in 1,135 Villages After Violence and Election Disruptions

KAMPALA, Uganda — The Electoral Commission (EC) has ordered fresh Local Council I (LC1) elections in 1,135 villages across Uganda after violence, destruction of election materials and disputes over voters’ registers disrupted polling in several areas.

The announcement was made on Wednesday by Electoral Commission Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama Mugenyi, who said voting was successfully completed in 70,079 of Uganda’s 71,214 villages, representing a 98.4 percent completion rate.

The affected villages will undergo fresh or repeat polling after the Commission received reports of violence, interference by residents, destruction of voters’ registers, disputes over village registers and complaints involving missing names.

EC Announces Fresh Polling Dates

According to Byabakama, some of the affected villages had already conducted repeat elections on Wednesday, while others will return to the polls after outstanding disputes have been resolved.

The Electoral Commission said fresh voter registration will begin on Thursday, July 30, 2026, in villages where voters’ registers were destroyed during Tuesday’s violence.

Polling in those areas is scheduled for Saturday, August 1, 2026.

Villages where the voters’ registers were not destroyed but where polling was disrupted will also conduct repeat elections on August 1.

EC Clarifies Missing Names on Voters’ Registers

Byabakama also addressed reports that some election officials allowed residents whose names were missing from the voters’ registers to participate in voting after presenting their national identity cards.

He said the practice was not authorised by the Electoral Commission.

The Commission is expected to examine such incidents as part of its assessment of the challenges experienced during the nationwide LC1 elections.

Byabakama described the overall election as peaceful and orderly, although he acknowledged that some incidents witnessed during Tuesday’s polling were serious.

Election Officials Accused of Possible Collusion

The Electoral Commission has also received allegations that some election officials may have colluded with individuals to influence or manipulate election results.

Byabakama said the allegations would be investigated, stressing that the Commission is committed to protecting the integrity and credibility of the electoral process.

He urged residents and political actors to avoid violence and allow the Commission to complete the remaining electoral activities peacefully.

Special Arrangements for Villages Affected by Candidate Deaths

The Commission has announced separate arrangements for villages where nominated candidates died before polling.

Where the only nominated candidate died before voting, fresh nominations will be conducted on Thursday, July 30, followed by polling on the same day.

However, where one candidate died but other candidates remain in the race, voting will proceed with the surviving candidates.

The Electoral Commission has also received several election petitions arising from the LC1 polls. Byabakama said the complaints would be handled in accordance with the law, although he did not disclose the exact number of petitions received.

Uganda Holds Nationwide LC1 Elections

The LC1 elections were held nationwide on Tuesday, marking the first national Local Council I elections since 2018.

The polls attracted significant voter participation as residents elected village chairpersons, who serve as the lowest-level elected leaders within Uganda’s local government structure.

The elections were conducted using the queue-voting system, where voters line up behind their preferred candidates as provided for under the Local Governments Act.

Despite disruptions in some parts of the country, the Electoral Commission said the high level of voter participation demonstrated strong public interest in local leadership.

The Commission has now committed to completing the electoral process in all affected villages while investigating allegations of misconduct and election-related violence.