The Polyas Election Glossary defines a protest vote as a “vote cast in an election or referendum in order to convey the voter’s disapproval of the available options or the political system as a whole.” The glossary explains that if voters are dissatisfied with the options available to them in an election or referendum they can intentionally cast an invalid vote or spoilt ballot. This may involve either defacing the ballot paper before placing it in the ballot box or simply submitting a blank ballot paper. In some elections a ‘none of the above’ option may appear on the ballot paper, allowing voters to expressly convey their disapproval of all other options.
If voters are more interested in showing their dissatisfaction with the political system as a whole, they may decide to vote for non-mainstream political parties running on platforms of change.
Abstention is also a type of protest vote. When voters decide not to participate in an election, this could be seen as a form of protest vote. However, abstentions resulting from a lack of interest in politics may not be a protest vote but simply apathy.
Going into campaigns later this year and general elections next year, the hype in NUP is of executing a protest vote. It’s the slogan and motto of their planning and a replacement of other catch words and phrases that have been hyped before including “Tajja kulayila” (he won’t swear in), “tugenda entebbe mu ntebe” (we are going for the chair in entebbe), we are removing a dictator, and so on. Very easy to craft because of the jocose and wishful mindset of the camp, the common denominator is that they all come to naught. This one, too, unless by an act of unique powers, will come to nothing.
From the onset, there is little difference between a protest vote and a normal vote against one side and for another. A vote is always for or against something or someone. Calling for a protest vote may sound like a different game of play but there isn’t much difference if the ground hasn’t been mobilised adequately to garner clear majorities at all electoral levels.
By protest vote, NUP is targetting President Yoweri Museveni and National Resistance Movement (NRM) candidates, as is expected. However, the elections have other parties and contenders and we know very well that NUP is at loggerheads with a number of other opposition political parties, and is preparing candidates against them including Kampala Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago of PFF. When you vote “protestingly” and destroy a ballot paper, you will not only deny your preferred candidate a vote, but also target other candidates on the same side.
NUP’s protest vote is, therefore, a haywire idea that is going to hit the opposition hard. It’s a recipe for a resounding defeat. It may seem like a new idea of defiance but it will boomerang badly. Where its voters choose to deface or “invalidate” votes, it will be a loss for everyone including NUP. On the other hand, NRM will field the only valid votes that will be counted. And if their supporters choose to protest by boycotting the elections, in NRM strongholds voters will turn out in large numbers and that will be an own goal by NUP.
In 2021, NUP scored many own goals-first, by cultivating the delusion that NRM was finished and weak, then misleading its own supporters that there would be no elections at all. They claimed to have a plan to remove NRM from power before elections (which they actually had and tried it, although it was criminal and treasonous in nature and was defeated by Ugandans). As a result, many voters failed to participate in the elections yet the confused leaders eventually contested after realising that everything else had failed. Because of the mixed signals they were giving, the brave Ugandans that came out continued to vote the familiar side they could trust. Politics runs on principles, not slogans and weather changes! The sooner NUP learns this lesson, the better it chances.
A protest vote in the contest of parties without deep structures nationally is a scam, and a scheme to psychologically prepare for defeat. No organisation, sure of its strength, woulld resort to discouraging or confusing voters. NRM is capable of organising protest elections against opposition but that is not done for the a reason that those who believe in democracy promote the concept of the right to know and choose from different options in a civil way. That’s democracy in action. NUP’s attempts are an assault on democracy and another attempt to set up Uganda for bloody confrontations as of 2020/2021.
NUP is also exploiting Ugandans with the claim that voting more of its MPs is a protest against Museveni. This is a moneymaking venture as more NUP MPs translates to more money for the elites in the party as the “footsoldiers” continue being used as shields and praise singers. A genuine “protest vote” would be for NUP opting not to field any candidates so that voters are confident that staying away or rejecting other candidates is strictly to slap NRM in the face. But where the vote is aimed at benefitting the party elites, that is nothing other than political doubledealing.
Meanwhile, NRM grassroots elections at village, parish, sub country, Division, Municipality, District and City level have been conducted successfully, as other party electoral programmes continue as per the roadmap. When are the other parties holding their grassroots elections?
The author is the Special Presidential Assistant-Press & Mobilisation/Deputy Spokesperson
Email: faruk.kirunda@statehouse.go.ug
0776980486/0783990861
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