NAIROBI,Kenya July 16 – The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has said voting in the Ol Kalou parliamentary by-election has proceeded smoothly, with voter turnout reaching 38.2 per cent by 1pm as the electoral agency urged more registered voters to cast their ballots before the close of polling.
In a status update issued on Thursday afternoon, the Commission said most polling stations opened on schedule at 6am despite the cold weather, commending voters who turned up early to participate in the exercise.
The electoral body encouraged those who had not yet voted to make their way to polling stations, saying any polling station that experienced delays in opening or interruptions during the day would have its voting hours extended by the amount of time lost.
The IEBC also said all eligible voters listed in the certified register were being identified using the Kenya Integrated Elections Management System (KIEMS) kits, indicating that the electronic voter identification process was functioning as expected.
As voting continued, the Commission issued a reminder on access to polling stations, cautioning political actors against actions that could interfere with the electoral process.
“There is no provision in law for ‘super agents’ or any unauthorized persons to operate within polling or tallying centres, including leaders of political parties,” the Commission said.
It further noted that state officers and public officers who are registered voters are only permitted to vote at their designated polling stations and are not allowed to move from one polling station to another.
The Commission also reminded voters to leave polling stations immediately after casting their ballots to allow others to vote and to help maintain order and security.
Ahead of the vote tallying process, the IEBC assured candidates, agents, observers and the public that ballot counting would be conducted transparently at each polling station immediately after voting closes at 5pm.
It said presiding officers would count and tabulate ballots in full view of agents, observers and the media before transmitting the results to the constituency tallying centre.
To enhance transparency, agents will be allowed to photograph official results forms, while copies of the forms will be displayed publicly at polling stations after the count.
The Returning Officer will then receive, verify and collate results from all polling stations before announcing the constituency results and declaring the winner in the presence of agents and accredited stakeholders.
The Commission further restricted access to tallying centres, saying only accredited individuals with official identification badges would be allowed entry.
While senior elected leaders and political party officials may witness the tallying process, the IEBC urged them to cooperate with election officials and security personnel and refrain from conduct that could disrupt or delay the declaration of results.
The electoral agency also reminded dissatisfied parties that any electoral grievances should be pursued through the courts.