Ballot paper colors for 2027 general election unveiled by IEBC

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has unveiled the colors that will distinguish ballot papers and corresponding ballot box lids for the six elective positions to be contested in Kenya’s 2027 General Election.

The color guide released by the Commission on August 12, 2026, assigns a specific color to each position, giving voters a visual distinction between the different ballots they will receive at the polling station.

Under the guide, the presidential ballot paper and ballot box lid will be white, while the Member of the National Assembly ballot will be green.

The Member of County Assembly (MCA) ballot will be brown, the Senator ballot yellow, the Woman Member of the National Assembly ballot purple, and the Governor ballot sky blue.

According to IEBC, “the color of the ballot paper matches the respective ballot box lid.”

The arrangement means that the ballot paper for each contest will correspond with the color displayed on the ballot box designated for that particular election.

IEBC had previously specified the same color distinctions in its technical requirements for ballot papers, including white for the presidential ballot, green for National Assembly, brown for County Assembly, yellow for Senate, purple for the Woman Representative position and sky blue for governor.

The update comes as preparations for the 2027 General Election continue, with IEBC already undertaking activities aimed at building the systems and register that will support the poll.

The ballot paper preparations are part of a wider electoral program being implemented ahead of the 2027 General Election.

In its Election Operation Plan for 2025–2027, IEBC said it is pursuing a two-tier voter registration strategy comprising Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) at constituency offices and Enhanced Continuous Voter Registration (ECVR).

The Commission set a target of registering 6.3 million new voters ahead of the 2027 election.

The plan also includes verification of biometric information, updating the voter register, removal of deceased voters' records, transfers and inspection of the register.

IEBC launched an enhanced voter registration exercise in 2026 as part of those preparations. The exercise targeted registration, transfers and updating of voter details across the country.

The Commission has also identified the strengthening of election technology as one of its priorities ahead of the poll, including an integrated elections management system covering voter registration, voter identification, candidate registration and results transmission.

For a voter, the color system will provide a simple way of distinguishing the six ballot papers and identifying where each should be deposited after voting.

A voter will receive the ballot papers for the positions for which they are eligible to vote, mark their preferred candidate on each paper and place each ballot in the ballot box bearing the corresponding color.

The color guide comes as IEBC continues work on the voter register, electoral technology, election logistics and other systems required for the 2027 General Election.