African Youth Development Link (AYDL) is a dynamic nonprofit; a nonpartisan youth-led development organization established in 2008, AYDL works to provide a link between youth and governance policy processes in Uganda so that we are each part of something larger than we are. We strive to advocate for the implementation and reform of laws and policies for increased youth participation in leadership and democratic governance processes at local and national levels for progress and change. Since 2014, AYDL has been coordinating the Youth Coalition on Electoral Democracy in Uganda (YCED) — a coalition of youth-led civil society organizations united in the desire to create synergy in various electoral democracy efforts currently being undertaken throughout Uganda. Through its flagship program, coordinated the National Youth Manifesto (NYM) agenda 2011 –2016, 2016 –2021, and 2021-2026 that highlights key policy priorities/demands by youth to the political parties, candidates in an election, and the subsequent government and emerging as a symbolic ‘youth collective voice‘ in Uganda‘s development discourse. Therefore, in the interest to harness youth potential, AYDL collaborated with the Youth Coalition for Electoral Democracy and set up a youth domestic election observation framework to observe the 2021 general elections. The observation focused on pre-election, Election Day, and Post-election; it aimed at monitoring and observing the electoral process to make recommendations for elections work for the people through citizens centered credible, inclusive, free, and fair process with acceptable outcomes. Having been duly accredited by the Electoral Commission with 150 election observers

Uganda with 77% of its population under 25 years is one of the countries in the world with the youngest population. Youth engagement in politics is key in shaping and informing an objective understanding of critical issues affecting the needs of communities, acting as a guide that enables the contextualization of policy and legislative controls to meet the needs of a population. However, the Inadequacies around effective domestic legislative frameworks providing for Youth participation in elections is just part of the larger dynamics affecting youth elections in Uganda. Gender discrimination, low civic competence, socio-cultural prejudices, and the seemingly threatening lack of an appropriate electoral system among others. The use of the Electoral college system in youth elections is far detached from the dynamics that inform youth elections and thus only disadvantages the potential of youth elections to influence and shape informed and democratic

Two parallel realities appear to exist in pre-election Uganda, especially when seen from the northern region of Acholiland ten years after it was declared ‘post-conflict’. In one, everything is ‘fine’: the elections will be smooth. There will be no problems and things will continue as normal. In this view, it seems, elections have to be fine, as peace is the main priority. It simply must not be jeopardized, not even if that means to keep the sitting President in power. In the other, the nation is preparing for war, amid breaking news about pre-election violence and rumors about violence committed and building up to momentum in the scenes. In some towns at the far periphery of the Ugandan political hub you can find mothers preparing to run from their homes with their children and most valuable belongings – just in case things turn sour.

WE THE PEOPLE OF UGANDA; Assembled in Kampala on this 26th day of November, 2014 Recalling our history in which, since independence, no national leader has peacefully transferred power to another; Recognizing the importance of holding credible, regular and genuinely free and fair elections, by which the people can determine the nature and composition of their governance, for the maintenance of peace and stability in the country; Committed to building a better future for our nation, in which our common destinies, shared dreams and aspirations are protected, without distinction as to ethnicity, religion, birth, creed, religion or other status; Having considered electoral reform proposals by the Coordinating Team for the Free and Fair Elections Campaign, the Citizens Coalition on Electoral Democracy (CCEDU), the Interparty Political Organizations for Dialogue (IPOD), the Electoral Commission (EC), the National Consultative Forum (NCF), the Cabinet and other concerned Ugandans. Acknowledging also that more than 3000 leaders participated in a series of consultations on free and fair elections held in the following regions: Toro, Bukedi, Teso, Kigezi, Busoga, Sebei, Ankole, Bugisu, Buganda, Karamoja, Bunyoro, Acholi and West Nile. Solemnly agree and declare as follows:

Democracies recognize voting as either a right or a duty that citizens engage in to express their views on how they choose to be governed however, voluntarily or involuntarily majority citizens fail to cast their vote. Unfortunately, those that turnout to vote do not systematically represent both the eligible and larger population which has left a question as to whether there is a correlation between voter turnout and political participation. The goal of this paper is to persuasively suggest compulsory voting as a tool to increase youth political participation in Uganda. This study argues that compulsory voting indeed can increase political participation in different ways through education, voter turnout, legitimacy of youth leaders amongst others. The author is very convinced that the benefits of compulsory voting on political participation need to be realized for young people to participate in the political arena.

In the 2016 youth parliamentary election, in the post-election, many actors including civil society groups in Uganda want the government to consider conducting a national review of the special interest groups’ representation in Parliament to evaluate the need for their continued representation and the election system. Youth activists say voting youth representatives through electoral colleges has been riddled with massive irregularities, citing chaotic regional Youth Members of Parliament elections that were marred by widespread voter bribery, intimidation of voters and candidates as well as the state inspired violence. The Inclusion of non-delegates into the Electoral College system and failure and possibility of reviewing the Electoral College system

The study aimed at identifying factors influencing voter turnout in local government council elections in Uganda clustering by region and residence. Assessment was done using a mixed effects logistic regression model and secondary data from the Uganda National Governance Baseline Survey (2013) consisting of 4743 participants selected countrywide. Voter turnout was significantly affected by age, education level, belonging to a political party, having political party offices, employment status, voting rights knowledge and bribery. The study recommended that government, civil society organizations and other stakeholders should carry out campaigns targeting eligible voters especially in rural areas aimed at sensitizing them about the importance of participating in elections and the introduction of compulsory voting by government. Political parties should engage in grass root mobilization of supporters through engaging women and youth in political party activities and finally rules governing electoral practices should be revisited to provide serious penalties for election malpractices.