The Electoral Commission (EC) has released the comprehensive roadmap for the highly anticipated local council (LC1 & LC2) and Women’s Council elections across Uganda's 71,214 villages.
The announcement, delivered by EC Chairperson Justice Byabakama Mugenyi Simon at the commission's headquarters, follows a series of funding-related delays and six extensions since the previous leadership mandates expired. Backed by a newly released Shs56 billion budget from the Central Government, the democratic exercises will systematically run from late June through September 2026.
The foundational phase of the roadmap kicks off in early July with a rigorous 5-day double-registration process. Eligible village residents will register simultaneously but in distinct register books: the Village Council (General) Register to vote for the LC1 Chairperson, and the Village Women’s Council Register to vote for the five-member Women's Committee. Willing female residents are eligible and encouraged to sign up for both registers.
The Grassroots Election Calendar
The electoral cycle is designed to be progressive, scaling up from immediate village clusters to national structures over a three-month horizon.
Phase 1: Village / Cell Level (The Foundation)
The initial phase establishes the voter base and elects immediate local neighborhood leaders.
Voter Registration & Register Compilation
July 6 – 10, 2026
In-person voter registration takes place from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm daily at designated village centers. Applicants must be Ugandan citizens aged 18 or above, ordinarily resident in the village, and must present a National ID or an Application ID Number.
Public Display of Village Registers
July 13 – 14, 2026
Registers are opened to the public (8:00 am – 6:00 pm) for verification. Residents are urged to scrutinize lists and report the deceased, minors, non-citizens, or non-residents to election officers for cleaning.
Candidate Nominations
July 15 – 19, 2026
Official nomination of candidates for both the Village Women's Committee and the Village (LC1) Chairperson. Processing takes place at Sub-County, Town, or Municipal Division headquarters. No academic requirements or financial nomination fees are required.
Official Campaign Window
July 20 – 27, 2026
Public campaign rallies are permitted strictly within village boundaries between 7:00 am and 6:00 pm. Note: Campaigns for the Women's Committee wrap early on July 22nd.
Polling Day: Village Women Committee
July 23, 2026
Elections for the 5-member committee (Chairperson, Vice, Secretary, Publicity, Finance). Voting is conducted via the traditional public queue method (lining behind candidates, portraits, or symbols).
Polling Day: Village (LC1) Chairperson
July 28, 2026
Elections for the LC1 Chairperson follow a strict multi-party dispensation. Voting operates via public lining from 11:00 am to 11:30 am, followed by immediate declaration and the afternoon formation/approval of the remaining 10 Executive Committee members.
Phase 2: Escalation to the National Level (Women Councils)
Following the village-level setup, the Women’s Council structures scale up hierarchically through a series of electoral colleges:
Protocol for LC1 Voting Day (July 28)
To avoid confusion at the polling stations (which are the individual villages themselves), the Electoral Commission has fixed a non-negotiable hourly schedule for the flow of activities on the primary voting day:
1.Assembly and Verification:07:00 AM – 10:00 AM.
Voters assemble at the designated public open space within the village. The Presiding Officer verifies voters against the finalized Village Council Register.
2.Voter Education and Briefing:10:00 AM – 11:00 AM.
The Village Election Official conducts public voter education, explaining lines, counting rules, and behavioral expectations.
3.Lining and Counting:11:00 AM – 11:30 AM.
The actual voting commences. The electorate physically lines up behind their chosen candidates, designated representatives, portraits, or party symbols. Counts are conducted out loud immediately.
4.Form Filing and Declaration:11:30 AM – 12:00 PM.
The Presiding Officer populates Official Form EC10, records the exact tallies, and formally declares the winning Chairperson-elect.
5.Executive Committee Formation:12:00 PM – 04:00 PM.
The newly elected Chairperson nominates 6 core cabinet members (Vice, General Secretary, Information, Security, Finance, and Production) from the assembly, approved one-by-one by a show of hands. 4 additional interest group chairpersons (Youth, Women, PWD, and Older Persons) automatically join to form the full 11-member LC1 Executive Committee via Form EC11.
The Electoral Commission notes that any public servant or government employee intending to contest for political positions within the LC1, LC2, or Women's Committee structures must legally resign their public office positions at least 30 days prior to the official nomination dates.
