IEBC releases ballot paper, box colours for 2027 poll

Ballot boxes at Ruaraka constituency tallying centre, Stima Club, Nairobi, on August 11, 2022. [File, Standard]

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has released the ballot paper and ballot box lid colours for the six elective positions in the 2027 General Election.

The scheme is unchanged from the last three polls, meaning voters familiar with the system will not need to relearn anything new at the polling station.

The presidential ballot paper and box lid remain white. The Member of the National Assembly ballot is green, the Member of County Assembly ballot brown, the Senator ballot yellow, the Woman Member of the National Assembly ballot purple and the Governor ballot sky blue.

IEBC said the colour of each ballot paper matches its respective ballot box lid, a design meant to help voters and officials identify the correct ballot quickly and cut down on stray or misplaced votes at polling stations.

These six colours were used consistently across the 2013, 2017 and 2022 elections, a run that has helped reduce confusion, particularly in areas with lower literacy levels.

Before 2010, when Kenya had only three elective positions under the pre-devolution system, the then Electoral Commission of Kenya used just three ballot colours: white for president, green for parliament and blue for civic seats.

The colour guide comes as IEBC ramps up preparations for the 2027 poll.

The commission has issued tenders for high-tech kits and tamper-proof ballot papers, saying it could require up to 180 million ballot papers for the election, with the new papers set to carry tapered, multi-coloured serial numbers and perforations to guard against counterfeiting and substitution.