By While the nomination of presidential candidates will take place on September 23 and 24, the Electoral Commission (EC) has designated Monday, August 11, 2025, as the official start date for aspirants to collect their nomination forms, supporter signature forms, and guidelines from the EC headquarters.
This development was announced by EC Chairperson Justice Simon Byabakama during a press briefing in Kampala, where he unveiled a series of adjustments to the 2025/26 general elections roadmap, affecting presidential, parliamentary, and local government elections.
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Justice Byabakama emphasized that all presidential aspirants or their representatives must physically collect the forms from the EC headquarters, not download them, and must present written authorization, especially in the case of political party flag bearers. Independent aspirants are required to prove they are registered voters before being issued the forms.
Each presidential aspirant must gather at least 100 signatures from registered voters in not less than 98 districts, representing two-thirds of all districts in the country. These forms must be submitted by September 10** to allow the Commission time to verify the authenticity of the supporters.
“We don’t want jokers. If you’re not a registered voter, you cannot contest for any position in Uganda,” Byabakama stated. “The signatures must be from registered voters in those districts, and verification will be done before nominations.”
The Commission also revised the parliamentary nomination dates, moving them from the earlier announced September 16–17 to October 15–16, 2025, to avoid overlap with local government nominations and ease administrative congestion. The EC stated that nomination forms for parliamentary aspirants will be available online starting August 11.
Additionally, the EC has reorganized the local government nominations, initially scheduled to run from September 3 to 12. The process will now be conducted in phases between September 3 and 24, depending on the category of elective position. Nomination forms for local government posts will be available from EC district and city offices beginning August 11, while those contesting for district chairperson or city mayor positions will be required to download the forms from the EC website due to academic qualification requirements.
Byabakama explained that the previous nomination timeline was too compressed and risked overwhelming nomination centers, given the large number of elective positions across the country. The new schedule, he said, is more manageable and better organized.
The EC also confirmed that the use of biometric voter identification and verification will be mandatory in the 2026 elections. Although current electoral laws make the use of technology optional, the Commission said legislative changes are being considered to make biometric verification compulsory at polling stations.
“We are planning. Challenges like poor internet or network interruptions will not disrupt the voting process. We have measures in place to ensure the integrity and smooth flow of the electoral exercise,” said Byabakama.
He concluded by thanking stakeholders and the public for their continued support and participation, particularly members of special interest groups the youth, older persons, and persons with disabilities who have actively engaged in the ongoing grassroots elections.
