The Electoral Commission (EC) has directed all presidential aspirants to submit 100 signatures of voters seconding their nomination within two weeks before nomination day.
Addressing journalists about adjustments to various election nomination positions, Justice Simon Byabakama, Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, announced that presidential aspirants can start picking nomination forms next week and will have one month to return them.
According to Byabakama, aspiring presidential candidates have 30 days to collect at least 100 signatures from supporters in 98 districts of Uganda to support their candidacy. Unlike previous elections, where aspirants would submit signatures on nomination day, this time around, all presidential aspirants are required to submit the signatures to the commission within two weeks leading up to the nomination dates of September 23rd and 24th.
“All presidential aspirants must submit their collected signatures from each district to the commission, two weeks before nomination day, at our new home in Lweeza. This allows us sufficient time to verify the authenticity of the signatures and confirm whether the signatories are registered voters in those districts,” Byabakama noted.
Unlike parliamentary nomination forms and district chairperson forms, which can be downloaded from the Electoral Commission website, presidential aspirants will collect nomination forms in person or by agents. This physical collection process, the Commission said it will enable the Commission to properly document aspirants and notify relevant authorities to prevent potential obstructions.