Preventing Election-related Violence

Topic IndexA poor voter information campaign

A voter information campaign is an effort organized by the relevant EMB to provide the basic information enabling citizens to participate in elections as both candidates and voters. Such information often includes eligibility requirements and timelines, locations and procedures for registration and voting.

Voter information campaigns may be unclear, badly timed and fail to reach all citizens, especially marginalized groups such as women and the elderly (men and women) in rural areas. In most societies of the world, the unequal distribution of power between women and men disadvantages women’s access to information. As a consequence, voters may lack clarity about the eligibility criteria for voter registration, the identification documents required, designated voting location, voting procedure and so on. Poorly informed citizens may slow down or disrupt electoral processes, also unnecessarily overburdening EDR mechanisms.

Empirical cases:

Presidential and parliamentary elections in Uganda in 2016. According to articles 61 and 52 of the Ugandan Constitution, the Electoral Commission and the Uganda Human Rights Commission are mandated to develop and implement voter and civic education programmes.[1] in the runup to the February 2016 general elections, however, a significant voter education campaign was not conducted.[2] Two months prior to election day. Reportedly many voters remained informed about the location of their polling station, the poll date and the election’s legal framework, issues such as the illegality of voter bribery and vote buying included. At the same time, 39% of Citizen Election Observers Network Uganda (CEON-U) observers reported an absence of voter education activities in their constituencies. The introduction of a Biometric Voter Verification System just 14 days before polling day further compounded voter uncertainty. Civil society organisations faced several challenges in their election-related efforts.[3] Due to limited resources their activities centred on urban areas, whereas rural regions were neglected. The authorized voter education handbook was released a few weeks prior to election day. As a result, voter education initiatives lacked clear guidelines. Limited voter education contributed to an atmosphere of fear along with misperceptions and myths concerning the elections. These in turn were viewed by some observers as having contributed to vote bribery, intimidation and hate speech.[4] Attendant hostilities between partisans of the rival political candidates eventually escalated into violence in the pre-election period.[5]

Interrelated factors: Contested electoral law (internal); Provocative use of the media by political parties (internal); Human Rights violations (external).[6]

[1] Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, 1995., available at <http://www.ulii.org/node/23824>, accessed on 19 September 2018

[2] Citizen Election Observers Network Uganda (CEON-U) (2016): Uganda General Elections 2016: Revisiting the Democracy Construct, available at <"https://www.scribd.com/document/317422608/Report-on-Uganda-s-2016-elections-by-Citizens-Election-Observers-Network-Uganda”> accessed on 20 September 2018

Tumwine, Albert (2016): Election observers accuse EC of failing on voter education. – Available at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Election-observers-accuse-EC-of-failing-on-voter-education/688334-2982284-k3r9tc/index.html,

[3] Citizen Election Observers Network Uganda (CEON-U) (2016): Uganda General Elections 2016: Revisiting the Democracy Construct. – Available at: https://www.scribd.com/document/317422608/Report-on-Uganda-s-2016-elections-by-Citizens-Election-Observers-Network-Uganda, p. 41>, accessed on 20 September 2018

[4] Tumwine, Albert (2016): Election observers accuse EC of failing on voter education. – Available at: http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Election-observers-accuse-EC-of-failing-on-voter-education/688334-2982284-k3r9tc/index.html.

[5] Citizen Election Observers Network Uganda (CEON-U) (2016): Uganda General Elections 2016: Revisiting the Democracy Construct. – Available at: https://www.scribd.com/document/317422608/Report-on-Uganda-s-2016-elections-by-Citizens-Election-Observers-Network-Uganda, p. 39.

[6] Ibid.

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Preventing Election-related Violence