Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister, Norbert Mao, has proposed stringent measures to tackle electoral malpractice, including a five-year jail term for electoral commission presiding officers found guilty of ballot stuffing. Mao, who also serves as the President of the Democratic Party, shared these proposals during a press briefing at the party headquarters in Kampala on Monday, July 7, 2025.

The minister revealed that he has introduced a draft bill advocating for mandatory electronic voting to eliminate election irregularities. “Any presiding officer whose polling station records more cast ballots than registered voters, as verified by biometric machines, will face imprisonment for five years,” Mao stated.

Mao disclosed that the bill has already been presented to the Cabinet for review, and a committee has been formed to address any concerns. Among the objections raised were potential challenges like network failures, power outages, and hacking risks. However, Mao assured that the proposed system is a standalone mechanism that does not rely on external networks, addressing these concerns.

The key goal of the bill, according to Mao, is to eradicate ballot stuffing and ensure election results are not tampered with. He emphasized that the law mandates biometric machines at all polling stations to enhance voter verification through fingerprints and facial recognition.

“This new system will be a game-changer,” Mao said. “We are taking inspiration from countries like India, where electronic voting has greatly improved the credibility of elections. In their systems, voters even receive a receipt confirming their vote.”

Mao further argued that Uganda’s electoral process must evolve to ensure transparency and fairness. “Theoretically, our elections are supposed to be free and fair, but the reality is different. This bill provides the solution to allegations of ballot box tampering during transportation and other forms of electoral fraud,” he noted.

Once the Cabinet approves the draft, it will be presented to Parliament for debate and further legislative procedures. Mao expressed optimism that the proposed changes would restore trust in Uganda’s electoral process and eliminate long-standing challenges associated with vote manipulation.