No more open ballots for LC 1 chairpersons please!

As our country Uganda gears up for the next round of LC1 chairperson elections on the 28th of June 2026, the nationals are obviously excited after spending a long time without voting for these leaders who are the main representatives of the common man in our system of governance.

However, it is sadly becoming a norm that the voting system for these most important leaders is the open ballot system where voters have to line behind the candidate of their choice.

I am calling it sad because of the vast number of disadvantages of this voting method.

An open ballot is a system of voting where the choice of the voter is known to others, rather than being kept secret. 

While it is obviously cost friendly, it carries several significant disadvantages in modern democratic contexts.

LC.1 chairpersons are the closest leaders to the population. Hence, we technically vote for people who we most probably know on a personal basis and likewise, the candidates usually know their voters on a personal basis.

The problem here is that: I may know one personally but not believe in them as a leader. However, since the African community is nautrally a shy community, this may either compromise a voter or make one abstain from voting for the leader of their choice. 

One may feel shy of not voting for the person they have a relationship with even when they do not believe in them as a leader.

There is also a case where a voter has a relationship with more than one candidate in a race. With the open ballot system, it becomes hard for a voter to stand on either side. 

In Africa where we are still democratically immature, where we do not understand the right to having independent opinion, the open ballot system has become a limitation to our right of choice of our leaders.

In my opinion, LC1 chairpersons are the most important leaders in our community. They are the the channel between the community and the top governors of the country. Yet unfortunately, their elections are those that the government never takes seriously.

The government never fails to buy the mostly dormant members of Parliament exepensive cars, but always fails to raise enough funds for organizing secret ballot elections for the most useful leaders of community that is: the Local council chairpersons. 

More disadvantages for this voting system include:

Some candidates that emerge victorious may someday decide to make life difficult for those who voted against them. 

After an election, the winning party or candidate could use the public record of votes to punish those who voted against them. This could manifest in the denial of government services, jobs, or other resources to individuals or regions that supported the opposition. 

Moreover, the LC 1 recommendation letter is almost compulsory for every application one may intend to make be it bank opening, or job application.

In this case, one may not get a fair recommendation just because they did not line up behind a particular candidate.

This voting system is susceptible to threats and intimidation. In my village forexample, a group of youths have already threatened to beat up known NRM cadres if the NUP candidate does not win, already accusing the NRM of vote rigging even before the vote is cast. 

Therefore, this fear of victimaztion and intimidation may discourage many people from voting.

When a person's vote is public, they may feel pressured to vote for a specific candidate to avoid retaliation from employers, landlords, local leaders, or political groups. This prevents the voter from expressing their true preference.

Open ballots make it much easier for corrupt actors to buy votes. In a secret ballot system, a person can take money but still vote whomever they want because the buyer cannot verify the choice. 

In an open ballot system however, the buyer can confirm that the voter followed through, making vote-buying schemes more effective and widespread.

Publicly declaring a political preference can lead to social alienation or conflict within communities and families. If a voter chooses a candidate who is unpopular in their immediate social circle, it can result in harassment or the breakdown of personal relationships.

Because voters may prioritize their safety or social standing over their actual political beliefs, the results of an open ballot election may not accurately reflect the will of the people. This undermines the legitimacy of the democratic process.

Therefore, I call upon our new Ministers for Local government, to put the above factors into consideration and make a change.

it is high time we took the LC.1 elections more seriously!

Thank you for your attention to this matter!