Kenyan voters will have six differently coloured ballot papers and matching ballot box lids when they head to polling stations for the 2027 General Election, in a system the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) says will make voting and sorting easier.
The electoral commission has announced the colours that will be assigned to each of the six elective positions to be contested during the election. The colour of each ballot paper will match the lid of the ballot box designated for that particular position.
IEBC said the colour coding would help voters and election officials distinguish between the different ballots as they cast their votes.
For the presidential election, the ballot paper and ballot box lid will be white. The National Assembly ballot will be identified by green, while the Senate ballot will use yellow.
The governor ballot paper and box will be light blue, while the Woman Representative ballot will be marked in purple. The Member of County Assembly (MCA) ballot will use beige.
The arrangement means voters will be required to handle six separate ballot papers at the polling station, with each one placed in the box carrying the corresponding colour.
The six positions are the President, Governor, Senator, Member of the National Assembly, Woman Representative and Member of the County Assembly. Each position has its own ballot paper and counting process.
The colour system is expected to provide a simple visual guide at polling stations, particularly during the busy voting period when voters are handling several ballot papers at once. It will also help election officials identify ballots during the sorting and counting process.
IEBC has been undertaking preparations for the 2027 election, including efforts to expand and update the voter register. In April, the commission said its Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration exercise had been conducted across all 290 constituencies, 1,450 County Assembly Wards, 57 Huduma Centres and institutions of higher learning.
The commission’s Election Operation Plan for the 2025 to 2027 period sets a target of registering 6.3 million new voters ahead of the 2027 General Election. It said the registration strategy would combine continuous voter registration at constituency offices with enhanced registration exercises aimed at reaching groups that may have been left out of the electoral register.
IEBC has continued to encourage eligible Kenyans who are not registered to take advantage of the ongoing registration opportunities. Continuous voter registration is conducted through constituency offices, while voter registration at Huduma Centres continues beyond the enhanced registration exercise.
The commission has also provided a voter verification portal where registered voters can check their voting particulars using their identification document or passport number and year of birth.
With the 2027 election preparations gathering pace, IEBC is urging Kenyans to familiarise themselves with the voting process early. Knowing the colours of the six ballots could help reduce confusion at polling stations and make it easier for voters to place each ballot in the correct box.
The colour guide will therefore be an important part of the voting process, with the white, green, yellow, light blue, purple and beige ballots each representing a different elective position.
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