Ballot symbol mismatch sparks complaints in Pakwach district local council polls
According to reports, voter turnout remained low across Pakwach District and the wider Greater Nebbi Sub-region.
Pakwach: Directly elected male district councillors in Panyimur Town Council, Pakwach District, have raised concerns with the Electoral Commission (EC) Pakwach Branch after discovering discrepancies in their assigned symbols on ballot papers during the ongoing 2026 local government elections cycle.
The irregularity surfaced on Wednesday during the ballot paper verification and confirmation exercise at Abok Polling Station, prompting immediate dissatisfaction among the affected aspirants.
Both candidates expressed strong disappointment over the discrepancy, saying it confused voters and undermined the integrity of the poll.
One of the impacted candidates, Okumu Robert, a former Nebbi District LCV Chairperson contesting as the NRM flag bearer, confirmed that the Electoral Commission had been formally notified of the issue.
“To our surprise, we found that there was an interchange on the ballot paper. My name appeared as number one, but the portrait was that of my opponent, while the symbol remained mine. This has brought a lot of confusion,” Okumu said.
He added that many voters who arrived early at the polling station were angered by the error and chose to leave without voting.
“All the electorate who came very early in the morning were annoyed and decided to leave the polling station,” he added.
Okumu attributed the discrepancy to an administrative error and called on voters to remain calm, assuring them that the Electoral Commission would soon announce a rescheduled polling date.
Meanwhile, independent candidate Victor Rova Alex expressed optimism, noting that similar issues had arisen during earlier NRM primary elections in the area, where outcomes had not favoured many contestants.
Background information shows that in the NRM primaries held last year in Panyimur Town Council, Okumu Robert secured 2,016 votes, while Victor Rova garnered 1,899 votes. The narrow margin prompted Rova to contest in the general election as an independent.
The Electoral Commission has not yet released an official statement on a new polling date or on corrective measures regarding the ballot papers.
Efforts to obtain a direct response from the Pakwach District Returning Officer, Sarah Nabukera, regarding the discrepancy were unsuccessful.
Voters and other stakeholders in Pakwach District are awaiting official communication from the Electoral Commission.
Meanwhile, elections for District Chairperson, Directly Elected District Councillors, and District Women Councillors in other parts of the district proceeded without interruption.
According to reports, voter turnout remained low across Pakwach District and the wider Greater Nebbi Sub-region.
The NRM candidate Robert Okumu (associated with the NRM bus symbol, his name, and photo) had these details swapped with those of the Independent candidate Rova Victor Alex (including his name, photo, and symbol).
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