IEBC Explains Why Voters Do Not Have to Vote for All 6 Elective Positions

The IEBC has announced that voters will not have to vote for all the six elective positions as it has been a norm in the previous elections.

On Sunday, 7th August, the IEBC conducted a voter simulation exercise, where it clarified that voters had the option to cast a ballot for all the elective posts or the ones they prefer.

The six elective posts that will be on the ballot include president, governor, senator, woman representative, member of parliament, and member of the county assembly.

In 2017, it was reported that many people voted for the presidential post and ignored the rest, resulting in the nullification of the presidential results by the Supreme Court.

According to Gogo Nguma, the Nairobi County Elections Manager, the option of allowing the voters to choose whether to cast for all the positions or the preferred one will help avoid the confusion witnessed in the 2017 elections.

Nguma further clarified that voters should drop the unmarked ballot papers into their responding ballot tins to account for every ballot paper. Nguma explained that the electoral law does not allow voters to return unmarked ballot papers to them.

In the 2017 case against the IEBC, the defendant (the IEBC) failed to explain why presidential ballots had more casts than the others. In the verdict, Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu questioned the IEBC where the uncasted ballots had been deposited and how they were accounted for.

IEBC is keen to ensure that this election does not repeat the 2017 mistakes. The commission has assured Kenyans that it has taken all the necessary measures to ensure it conducts a free, fair, and credible election.