An ABC of Voter Registration

Why is it Necessary for Kenyans to Register as Voters?

• To exercise their constitutional right and duty: the Constitution grants every citizen the right to elect his/her leaders of choice
• Voting provides an opportunity to choose a leader of your choice. Kenyans decide who will be their President, MP or councilor
• Voting provides an opportunity to vie in elections. By law, only registered voters are allowed to vie for elections.
• To safeguard their rights and freedoms as provided for in the constitution
• To give legitimacy to leaders. By electing their leaders, voters give their consent to be led by whoever they have chosen and to reject those who fail to sufficiently represent their interests.
• Voting provides the opportunity to change leaders ideally on the basis of performance. Voters get the chance to elect new leaders where incumbents are underperforming or to renew the mandate of those they consider to be good performers.
• Voting sets a good example to others. By participating in elections, you set an example for political involvement and responsibility for the younger generation
• Voting provides opportunities for social interactions.

VOTER REGISTRATION

What is Voter Registration?

It is the process of entering names of qualified persons and their national identity card (ID) numbers in a list of voters

What is a Register of Voters?

It is a list of voters who are registered and entitled to vote. Only people whose names appear in the register as voters may participate in elections

Why is it Important to Register as a Voter?

It is the right and duty of every citizen to elect his/her leaders who in turn form the government. You can only participate in elections if you are a registered voter

Who conducts Voter Registration in Kenya?

The Constitution of Kenya and other laws mandate the IIEC to prepare, maintain and revise a fresh register of voters through its officers

What is the Period for Voter Registration?

The law requires the IIEC to create a new register as soon as possible. A national registration of voters exercise will begin on March 22, 2010 and continue for a period of 45 days.

Who Qualifies to Register as a Voter?

To qualify as a voter, one must fulfill the following conditions:-

• You must be a Kenyan citizen
• You must be 18 years old and above
• You must have a national ID card or a valid Kenyan passport
• You must have lived in Kenya for one (1) year before registering or at least four (4) years in the last eight (8) before registering
• You must have lived in the constituency for a period of five (5) months or own land or buildings or carry business in the constituency

NB: Please note the old generation IDs are no longer valid and are therefore not acceptable when registering as a voter. Only those with new generation IDs or those with valid passports shall will be registered as voters

How does one Register as a Voter?

• A person who meets the requirements discussed in the last program (program 6) must present himself/herself in person to a registration clerk at a designated registration center during official working hours (8am- 5pm).
• Where possible, you will be expected to surrender to the registration clerk s your old voter’s card
• The registration clerk will confirm the picture and the details appearing in your ID or Passport are genuine. Upon confirmation, he/she shall fill an OMR form which you will sign and thumb print.
• The registration clerk will then write your name and ID or Passport number in a manual register
• Your voter’s card with a specific number will then be written, laminated and issued to you
• Your old voter’s card will be retained by the registration clerk
• A person is not allowed to register another person on his/her behalf irrespective of the relationship between them (whether a spouse, dependent or friend)
• Remember to keep your card safely. Selling or destroying it deliberately is an offence under the laws of Kenya.

When can one be Denied Registration?

• When you are undischarged bankrupt
• When you have been found guilty of an election offence by an election court
• If you are in lawful custody
• If a competent court declares you to be of unsound mind

Where does one Register as a Voter?

At the start of a major registration exercise, the IIEC will announce venues for the registration of voters through its election officers in the constituencies.
IIEC will also put up posters in prominent public places informing the public on registration activities, dates and registration centers

What Identifies one as a Registered Voter?

Upon registration, one is issued with a voter’s card by the registration clerk . The name on the card will appear in the register of voters.

Can one register more than once?

A person is only allowed to register once. It is a serious offence to register more than once. Persons who have registered more than once are liable to imprisonment for a period of six (6) months or a fine of Ksh5,000 or both

Can one transfer to another registration center or constituency?
For purposes of voting in the referendum, where one registers at a particular registration center in the coming registration exercise, he/she will be required to vote at the particular center of registration.
However, the IIEC will provide for the transfer of voters after the referendum

Can one change personal registration particulars?

Yes! You can change your name or address by visiting a designated voter registration center.

Can a Damaged or Lost Voters’ Cards be Replaced?

Yes! One only needs to surrender the damaged card to the Registration clerk at the registration center where he or she is registered for a replacement to be made
To replace a lost voters’ card, one only needs to present his/her National ID to the Registration clerk where the person registered and will be issued with a new voters’ card

A lost or damaged voters’ card cannot be replaced on Election Day!

What is Inspection of the Register of Voters and why is it Important?
It is a process where voters check/inspect the register of voters to ensure that:-

• Only qualified persons have been registered
• All their names and particulars are correctly entered in the register
• Names of deceased voters do not appear in the register of voters
• Double/multiple registered voters do not appear in the register

Where is the Inspection of the Register done?

Inspection of voters register shall be done at the registration center where one has registered

Note: One should report to the registration clerks any names missing from the register, misspelled names and names of deceased persons appearing in the register
Names of people who have registered more than once as voters should also be reported to the registration clerks.

Election Offences in Kenya In Relation to Registration of Voters
The following are some of the election offences that are punishable by law:-

• Double/multiple registration: your name appearing more than once on the voters’ register
• Having more than one voter’s card
• Impersonation: the use of another person’s voter’s card
• Selling or buying voter’s card: buying or selling voters card for cash or material gain
• Deliberately destroying a voter’s card
• Carrying another person voter’s card

Note: As provided for by Chapter 7 of the Laws of Kenya, election offences will lead to warning, disqualification, prosecution or imprisonment.