Things to know for Election Day

3 days to the elections on March 4th, the voting materials including ballot boxes are now in the country. The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) staff had been employed and trained in readiness for the elections. The mock elections have been conducted. One assumes that the most of the kinks have been ironed out as the IEBC has assured voters that they are technically prepared election and the government will providing technical support where needed.

So what do you the voter need to know for the actual date?

Find your polling location:  To avoid going to the wrong location visit the Find Your Polling Station App at http://vote.iebc.or.ke and find out/confirm where you will be voting. Enter your ID number in the dialogue box to find your polling location.

Know what to bring to the polls. Voters will be required to show photo ID before casting their ballot. In this election voters will be required to verifying their identity using the same identification document that they used during voter registration i.e. if you used your passport to register you will be required to bring your passport with you if you used your ID card you will be required to use this.

Leave political party items at home: Voters are asked not to wear political party clothing or paraphernalia to the polling place on Election Day.  Election officials may ask voters to remove or cover up political items, or to leave the polling place if they are judged to be electioneering or creating a disturbance.

Get in line before the polls close: While the IEBC has agreed to extend the voting period on the day if needed based on their assessment of the mocking voting, only voters in the queue and in the polling station at 5 p.m. will be allowed to vote. New entrants will not be allowed into the polling station after 5 p.m.

Know your voting: rights: Some activists are anticipating voter intimidation attempts at the polls tomorrow. It’s important to know your rights in preparation for such a situation. If you experience any form of intimidation or suppression tomorrow, you can report it an IEBC poll worker on site, or contact the IEBC at the IEBC Election Hotline Numbers: 0711035606 and 0711035616. The hotlines will also be open during the tallying period.

It is also worth noting that the Elections Act and Regulations makes it an offence for a voter "to accept or take food, drink, refreshments, money, ticket or adopt a means or device of procuring them" if such is meant to influence the voter's support.

Time off to vote: the voting day Monday 4 will be a public holiday and for essential workers note that Article 70 of Election Act requires “Every employer shall, on polling day, allow a voter in his employ a reasonable period for voting, and no employer shall make any deduction from the pay or other remuneration of any such voter or impose upon or exact from them any penalty by reason of his absence during such period.”

 

Posted by Mzalendo Editor on March 1, 2013

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