Electoral Commission explains why it has yet again revised 2026 election nomination schedule for local government, parliament, and presidency 

The Electoral Commission (EC) has announced significant revisions to the nomination schedule for candidates vying for various positions in the upcoming 2026 Local Government, Parliamentary, and Presidential elections. Justice Simon Byabakama, the EC Chairperson, unveiled the updated roadmap on Thursday, urging all stakeholders to take note of the new timelines.

Initially slated for September 3 to September 12, 2025, the nomination period for Special Interest Groups (Youths, Persons with Disabilities, and Older Persons) seeking election to Local Government councils has been condensed and rescheduled. These nominations will now take place on Wednesday, October 15, and Thursday, October 16, 2025, at the respective District/City Returning Officer’s offices.

Beyond the Special Interest Groups, the EC has also adjusted the nomination windows for other Local Government positions:

• District/City (Chairpersons, Lord Mayor, and Councillors): Nominations are now set for Wednesday, September 3, 2025, to Friday, September 5, 2025, at the relevant District/City Returning Officer’s office.
• Municipality/City Division (Chairpersons and Councillors): These nominations will run from Monday, September 8, 2025, to Wednesday, September 10, 2025, also at the District/City Returning Officer’s office.
• Sub County/Town/Municipal Divisions (Chairpersons and Councillors): The longest period, these nominations will be held from Thursday, September 11, 2025, to Wednesday, September 24, 2025, excluding weekends, at the respective County Headquarters.

Prospective candidates for District, Municipal, and Sub-County Councilors’ elections can begin collecting their nomination forms and guidelines from their respective District/City Electoral Commission Offices starting Monday, August 11, 2025. For District Chairpersons, forms will be available for download from the EC’s official website, www.ec.or.ug, from the same date.

Justice Byabakama also addressed the Parliamentary elections, including their Special Interest Group categories (Youths, PWDs, and Older Persons), whose previous nomination dates (September 16-17, 2025) have been revised. While specific new dates for parliamentary nominations were not detailed in the announcement, the EC confirmed that nomination forms and guidelines will be accessible for download from their website (www.ec.or.ug) starting Monday, August 11, 2025.

The roadmap for the highly anticipated 2026 Presidential Elections also saw clarification. The period for collecting nomination forms and guidelines for presidential aspirants has been set from Monday, August 11, 2025, to Wednesday, September 24, 2025. During this window, aspirants will obtain nomination forms, crucial supporter forms (requiring signatures from at least 100 registered voters in two-thirds of Uganda’s districts), and detailed guidelines for the nomination process.

These vital documents must be collected in person at the EC Head Offices on Plot 1-3 & 5, 7th Street Industrial Area, Kampala, between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm on weekdays. For individuals collecting nomination and supporter forms on behalf of a Political Party/Organisation, a written authorization from the Secretary General or a designated official of that party/organisation is mandatory.

Byabakama concluded by urging all stakeholders – political parties, aspirants, and the electorate – to carefully note the revised timelines and remaining activities on the electoral roadmap, ensuring full participation and adherence to the established guidelines.