IEBC Releases Strict Guidelines for Ballot Box Mix-ups Ahead of Next Polls

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has issued a directive on the new procedures for handling ballot boxes ahead of the 2027 elections.

In a Gazette Notice dated May 29, the IEBC clarified the protocols to be used to address administrative errors during the sealing of ballot boxes.

Additionally, the IEBC Chairperson, Erastus Edung Ethekon, noted that the new rules for handling ballot boxes will reduce errors observed during the elections.

According to the chairperson, if, upon arriving at the constituency tallying center, the presiding officer has wrongly placed materials in the sealed ballot box, their retrieval is crucial.

IEBC emphasizes that, in instances where an error has occurred, the Kenya Integrated Election Management System (KIEMS) kit, statutory forms, polling station diary, and mobile phones belonging to the election officials should be retrieved upon arrival at the tallying center.

“Where upon arrival at the Constituency Tallying Center, the Presiding Officer is found to have wrongly put materials in the sealed ballot box. Materials to be retrieved: KIEMS, Statutory Forms, Polling Station Diary, or Mobile Phones for election officials,” IEBC directed.

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IEBC Rules to Presiding Officers

Upon arrival at the constituency tallying center, if there is a case of wrongly placed materials, the presiding officer is expected to report the error to the constituency returning officer by the election commission.

Additionally, under the new rules, the presiding officer will be required to summon their polling station agents to the constituency-tallying center.

In the presence of the constituency returning officer, constituency tallying center agents, and polling station agents, the presiding officer will open the sealed ballot boxes and retrieve all the materials required by the IEBC.

After retrieval of all the materials required, the presiding officer will proceed to seal the ballot box and record the new seal serial number in the polling station diary as required by the election commission.

However, under the new rules on handling the ballot boxes, the IEBC has clarified that, under no circumstances, after the retrieval of wrongly placed materials, will the presiding officers recount the votes.

Additionally, no changes will be made to the already announced results at the polling station after the materials are retrieved from the constituency tallying centers.

Also Read: Breakdown of Newly Registered Voters Across Counties as IEBC ECVR Enters Final Stretch

Directives to Polling Station Agents and Tallying Center Agents

Under the new set of rules by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, agents from the polling centers and the constituency centers will be required to sign as witnesses to the unsealing, retrieval, and sealing process.

Further, after signing as witnesses to the process, the returning officer at the tallying center will record the process in the returning officer’s incident report.

In instances where the polling station agents cannot access the constituency tallying centers, the constituency returning officer will inform the commission and await guidance from the IEBC.

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