The National Electoral Commission (NEC) has released a road map for the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections in Eastern Province, involving partners in planning and management. The timetable includes important activities like voter registration, candidate nominations, and campaign periods.
The NEC assessed the performance of 17,617 election volunteers in February 2023 for Eastern Province appointments. They identified volunteers who resigned and those requiring replacement, receiving 1,193 requests for replacements.
According to Frank Kayiranga Rwigamba, the National Electoral Commission coordinator in Eastern Province, out of 619 polling sites, 615 were visited to ensure they met election administration requirements. The objectives included checking for road accessibility, electricity availability, and necessary facilities like latrines, ladies' rooms, and water access for people with disabilities.
The road map also indicated that 474 election sites were connected to electricity, while 145 were not; only one did not have access to the road, with all 619 having access to latrines, while 587 out of the 618 election sites had water access for disabled individuals, highlighting the commitment to inclusivity and accessibility in the electoral process.
Kayiranga added that 539 ladies' rooms are available, while 76 are missing. He said: "Ladies' rooms at voting sites are crucial for accommodating breastfeeding mothers and ensuring their participation in the electoral process; we are looking into adding other voting sites on the list, mostly schools with mothers' rooms."
Currently, according to the NEC, there is a need for increased efforts in voter registration and civic education to ensure that all eligible voters are included in the electoral process.
NEC urged partners to engage in civic education, electoral awareness, compliance with election laws, encouraging citizen participation in electoral activities, sharing information on electoral processes, providing identification documents, managing security during candidate campaigns, and ensuring compliance with voter registration.
The road map indicates that from February to May, the National Electoral Commission in Eastern Province will embark on civic education and voter registration campaigns, training election officials, distributing flyers, and monitoring logistics, including the procurement of vehicles needed in the electoral process.
From July 13 to June 30, the electoral commission will be receiving and reviewing candidates' nominations, and their representatives at voting sites, and preparing campaigning venues for candidates.
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Kayiranga urged officials to speed up the provision of identification documents for citizens to use in the elections, including IDs and substitutes for those who do not possess them.
He emphasised the importance of ensuring that all eligible voters have access to identification documents to exercise their right to vote.
Additionally, Kayiranga stressed the need for effective communication and coordination among officials to ensure a smooth and transparent electoral process.
The electoral commission will also organise voter education programmes to inform citizens about their rights and responsibilities during the upcoming elections.
The 2017 Eastern Province voter list had over 1.6 million voters, while the 2022 voter list for local mediators had over 2 million voters, representing a difference of over 370,000 new voters aged 18.
Nyagatare District recorded the highest increase in eligible voter registration with over 75,000 new voters registered.
