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Uganda
General Right to
Vote
Constitution:
(1995)
Section 59 states: "(1) Every citizen of Uganda of eighteen
years of age or above, has a right to vote
(4) Parliament shall
make laws to provide for the facilitation of citizens with disabilities
to register and vote."
Specific Inclusion
of People with Disabilities
Constitution:
(1995)
Section 35 states: "(1) Persons with disabilities have a right
to respect and human dignity and the State and society shall take appropriate
measures to ensure that they realize their full mental and physical potential.
(2) Parliament shall enact laws appropriate for the protection of persons
with disabilities."
Section 78 states: "Parliament shall consist of
(c) such
numbers of representatives of the army, youth, workers, persons with disabilities
and other groups as Parliament may determine
Exclusion Based
on Mental Disability
Constitution:
(1995)
Section 80, subsection (2) states: "A person not qualified
for election as a member of Parliament if that person (a) is of unsound
mind
"
Electoral Law:
(1995)
Section 38, subsection (2) states: "A person is not qualified
for election as a member of Parliament if that person (a) is of unsound
mind
"
Section 54, subsection (1) states: "The following persons
may be registered as voters and their names may remain in the voters register
and voters roll in their respective polling divisions, but shall not be
qualified to and shall not vote at an election
(b) every person whose
liberty of movement is lawfully restrained or who is lawfully deprived
of management of his or her property by reason of being of unsound mind."
Voter Assistance
by Other Citizens
Electoral Law:
(1995)
Section 66, subsection (1) states: "Where a voter is by reason
of blindness, illiteracy, old age or any other disability unable to fix
the authorized mark of choice on the ballot paper, that voter may report
at the polling station accompanied by a person of his or her choice to
assist the voter to fix the authorized mark of choice on the ballot paper
on the voter's behalf or the voter may request another person present
at the polling (sic) station to assist such voter in that behalf."
Section 66, subsection (2) continues: "It shall be lawful
for any member of a voter's family to assist a voter under subsection
(1) notwithstanding the fact that the former is below the age of eighteen
years."
Section 66, subsection (3) continues: "An election officer,
a candidate's agent, an observer or monitor, at any polling station, is
not permitted to assist any voter with a disability under subsection (1)."
Section 66, subsection (4) continues: "No person is authorized
to assist any voter to mark the ballot paper under subsection (1) unless
the voter has voluntarily requested such assistance."
Poll Worker Manuals:
Guidelines on Referendum 2000 on Political Systems: Produced by The Electoral
Commission
Where a voter is, by reason of blindness, illiteracy, old age,
or any other disability unable to vote independently, that voter may report
at the polling station accompanied by a person of his or her choice to
assist the voter." 10
The voter may also request the assistance of another person present
at the polling station to assist him/her. 10
An election officer, an agent, or observe, at any polling station,
is not permitted to assist any voter with a disability
Promotes Access
Poll Worker Manuals:
Local Government Elections: Election Officials'Manual (Unknown)
"Some people may be allowed to vote without waiting in the
line of voters. Such people may include pregnant women, the old, sick
voters or those with disabilities and persons required for essential duties"
p 29.
Indelible Ink Excusal
Electoral Law:
(1995)
Section 59, subsection (6) states: "Where for the purposes
of paragraph (d) of subsection (5) [which discusses thumb inking procedure]
(a) the voter has no thumb on the right hand, the process specified in
that paragraph shall be applied to the finger nearest to the position
of the thumb on the voters' right hand; or (b) the voter has no right
hand the process shall be applied to the left hand; or (c) a voter has
no fingers on the left or right hand, the voter may dip the tip of any
hand into indelible ink; or (d) the voter has no hands, the process shall
be applied to any other conspicuous part of the voter's body as a polling
assistant may determine."
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