How to Mark a Ballot Paper in Kenya

Every voter needs to know how to mark a ballot paper in Kenya to avoid any mistakes in an election. Such mistakes include voting for the wrong candidate or votes cast becoming spoilt votes.

There are different types of elections in Kenya which allow the citizens to choose their representatives. The candidates that Kenyans can vote for are–

• the President and Deputy President (on a joint ticket),
• Members of the National Assembly (that represent the Constituencies),
• Members of the Senate,
• County Women Representatives,
• the County Governor and Deputy County Governor (on a joint ticket), and
• the Members of the County Assembly (also known as Ward Representatives).

The ballot paper is an official electoral paper containing the symbols of parties and names of candidates vying for any given elective position. A ballot paper shall have the following features–

• a serial number;
• names of candidates;
• political party symbols;
• a marking space;
• images of the candidates;
• instructions to the voter;
• security features.

How to mark a ballot paper in Kenya

Knowing how to fill out a ballot paper is important for the voting process in Kenya.

The voter shall–

• mark in the space that corresponds to the–
  • name, portrait, and symbol of the Political Party candidate (if voting for a candidate belonging to a political party);
  • name and portrait of an independent candidate (if voting for an independent candidate who does not belong to any party);
• make only one mark on a ballot paper within the space provided for marking.
• ensure that they mark the correct symbol. Only two symbols are allowed for marking the ballot box. Either a tick (✓) or a cross (✗) against the name (or nickname) and (party) symbol of a preferred candidate.

The features of a correctly marked ballot paper are as follows–

• the ballot paper shall have a mark against only one candidate;
• the mark shall be within the space provided for marking;
• the ballot paper must be stamped at the back with the official Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) stamp.

The voter shall ensure they do not use any mark that may reveal their identity.

The ballot papers must be cast in the correct box by matching the colours of the ballot paper with that of the lid of the respective ballot boxes–

• the Presidential ballot and lid of the ballot box is white;
• the Governor’s ballot and the lid of the ballot box is blue;
• the Senator’s ballot and the lid of the ballot box is yellow;
• the County Assembly Ward ballot (for Ward Representatives) and the lid of the ballot box is beige;
• the Parliamentary ballot (for members representing the Constituencies) and the lid for the ballot box is green;
• the County Woman Representative’s ballot and the lid of the ballot box is Purple.