As the country prepares to go to polls next week, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has started dispatching polling materials to the 146 district offices across the country.
The EC chairperson, Justice Simon Byabakama, flagged off the first batch of electoral material, including ballot papers, and voter registers for the election of councilors for Special Interest Groups (SIG), as well as parliamentary and presidential elections yesterday.
The kit also includes Declaration Forms, accountability forms, official report books, cordoning strips, polling officials’ attires, solar lamps, among others.
Byabakama said the early dispatch is designed to facilitate timely delivery of polling materials to all districts and eventually enable timely conduct of elections across the country.
He scoffed at allegations of intentional delays in areas known to be strongholds of Opposition parties as raised in the last election.
He said the first batch headed to nine districts of Busia, Butambala, Mukono, Iganga, Karenga, Kasese, Agago, Sironko and Terego as the loading of trucks for other districts and other elections is ongoing and they will be dispatched this week.
Justice Byabakama also said discussions are ongoing to determine the number of people that should be allowed at the polling station, given the restriction on gatherings due to the coronavirus pandemic.