How does voting work on election day in Kenya?
Go to the polling station where you registered, with the original ID or passport you registered with. You are checked against the register, issued six ballot papers, and you mark each one in private before placing it in the matching ballot box.
Before you go
- Confirm your polling station through the IEBC verification service.
- Carry the original national ID card or Kenyan passport you registered with.
- Know which six seats you are voting for, so the ballots are not a surprise.
At the station
- 1
Identification
Officials check you against the register for that station using your ID or passport.
- 2
You are issued your ballots
A general election means six ballot papers, one per seat, usually distinguished by colour.
- 3
You mark them in private
Your vote is secret. Mark each ballot yourself, in the booth.
- 4
You place each in the right box
There is a separate box per seat. Putting a ballot in the wrong box can spoil that vote.
A note on specifics
Voting hours, identification rules and assisted-voting arrangements are set and published by the IEBC for each election. Confirm the details for the day on iebc.or.ke rather than relying on what circulated last time.
Related questions
- Where do I vote on election day?
- You vote at the polling station where you registered. Confirm your polling station through the official IEBC verification service before election day so you know exactly where to go.
- How do I check if I am already registered?
- The IEBC runs an official voter verification service before elections, through its website and, during verification windows, by SMS. Always confirm your registration and polling station through the official IEBC channel at iebc.or.ke — never enter your ID number on unofficial sites.