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News release

Ugandans see COVID-19 impacts on the election – and election impacts on the pandemic

12 Jan 2021 Uganda
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Ugandans expect the COVID-19 pandemic to have significant negative impacts on Thursday’s general election, a new Afrobarometer survey shows. They also fear that the election will worsen the pandemic.

Even so, in interviews in late December and early January, a majority favoured going ahead with the election as planned – but with relaxed police enforcement of COVID-19 regulations.

Among negative impacts, a majority of respondents said the pandemic would hinder the work of election observers and the ability of all candidates to have a fair chance to campaign. Overall, about half thought the pandemic would affect the credibility of election results.

Most citizens thought it was likely that voters gathering at polling sites would increase the number of COVID-19 infections in the country.