EC commences exercise of Issuance of Voter Location Slips (VLS) ahead of 2021 General Elections

The Electoral Commission will tomorrow Sunday 3rd January 2021 kick off the exercise of issuance of  Voter Location Slips to voters across the country to enable them conveniently locate their respective polling stations on polling day.

The exercise will take a period of ten (10) days starting today Sunday 3rd to Tuesday 12th January 2021 at each Parish/Ward across the country.

The VLS is a response by the Electoral Commission to complaints raised in the past elections, where some voters reported difficulty in locating their polling stations.

According to Justice Byabakama Mugenyi Simon the Chairperson/Electoral Commission, the VLS bears the particulars of a voter, namely: photograph, names, date of birth, and location (that is, the district, constituency, Sub County, parish and polling station).

It also bears a unique barcode which will be read by the Biometric Voter Verification machines which will be deployed at all polling stations across the country.

The VLS will be used by voters at four rounds of elections during the General Elections 2021 namely: at the Presidential/Parliamentary; District/City Chairpersons and Councilors; Municipality/City Division Chairpersons and Councilors; and Sub-county/Town/Municipal Division Chairpersons and Councilors elections.

“Please note that this Voter location slip (VLS) is free of charge and should only be picked by the voter in person from the Parish/Ward Supervisor who is an employee of the Commission. The Commission calls upon all registered voters to collect their Voter Location Slips from their respective Parish Headquarters. Voters are further advised to carefully secure their Voter Location Slips, so that the barcode is not tampered with” Byabakama explains.

Only a person whose particulars appear on the Polling Day Register will be issued a VLS during this issuance exercise.

He also explained that the Voters’ Register is the primary document for the purpose of polling. Accordingly, a voter whose name is on the Voters’ Register but is unable to produce a VLS on Polling Day will be allowed to vote.