Leaders in Northern Uganda are calling for electoral reforms, including mandatory voting, to tackle persistently low turnout in local government elections.

While the January 15 presidential and parliamentary polls saw high participation, subsequent local council elections recorded significantly lower turnout, sparking concerns about voter apathy and the structure of Uganda’s electoral process.

The debate has renewed calls to streamline elections, with proposals ranging from holding all elections on a single day to adopting a bottom-to-top voting approach to reduce voter fatigue and confusion.

Lira City Mayor Sam Atul attributed the low turnout to systemic issues, noting that the government declared a public holiday for presidential and parliamentary elections but not for local council polls, which he said undermines their significance. “Reforms are needed to allow voters to elect all leaders in one exercise,” Atul said, describing the current system as discriminatory toward local government elections.

Sarah Awor, a female councillor in Lira City West Division, also supported holding all elections on the same day, saying it would save time and sustain voter enthusiasm.

Lira City Returning Officer Aggrey James Ipeto explained that voter excitement peaks during presidential and parliamentary races, with little interest in lower-level contests, and called for intensified civic education to highlight the importance of local leadership.

However, former Aruu County MP Samuel Odonga Otto cautioned that Uganda’s democratic process risks becoming superficial if citizens are not adequately empowered. He emphasized that voter education, rather than coercion, should remain the priority.

END