Gen Zs warned against taking ballot photos during elections
A poster urging Kenyans to register as voters.
Taking photographs of the ballots will not be allowed during the elections, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has warned.
Speaking at a youth forum in Kivumbini, Nakuru County, Dr Mele Joseph, the County Elections Manager, addressed a question that came up among the phone-savvy young attendees: whether they could photograph their ballots to share on social media.
He warns that such actions, however tempting in our social media age, constitute voter tampering and undermine the fundamental principle of secret ballot voting.
“Voting by secret ballot is personal. The moment you photograph your ballot and share it, you have compromised the integrity of that vote,” Dr. Mele emphasizes.
The issue of ballot photography emerged as just one of several myths and misconceptions plaguing young voters, many of whom will be casting their ballots for the first time in 2027.
When questioned about IEBC’s shift from fingerprint technology to iris recognition, Dr Mele provides a detailed explanation that underscores the commission’s commitment to electoral integrity.
He notes that fingerprint-based systems have proved vulnerable to manipulation.
“Someone might have gone and interfered with their fingerprints,” he explains, citing both accidental damage from manual labor and deliberate alteration.
“Iris, which is the unique pattern in a person’s eye, is peculiar to each person. Even children who are identical twins don't have the same iris pattern. This is a measure to enhance the security and integrity of voter identification,” he says.
Perhaps the most pervasive myth addressed at the forum was whether the IEBC temporary staff are allowed to vote. The answer, Dr Mele notes emphatically, is yes, noting that all temporary staff of IEBC are allowed to vote as it is their right to do so.
The confusion stems from the 2022 elections, when many young temporary workers discovered they had been deployed to polling stations far from where they were registered, effectively preventing them from voting.
He notes this as an administrative issue that will be addressed come the next election.
Dr Mele calls on young Kenyans to register and participate in the democratic process.
“This is your right—to register and make your voice heard when decisions are being made about your governance. Nakuru will continue to thrive when people come together and participate in the democratic process,” he says.
Leslie Rono, a project officer at Midriff Hurinet, is urging young people to take up their role as agents of change by actively participating in democratic processes ahead of the 2027 general election.
Through the Peace, Accountability and Community Empowerment (PACE) project, implemented in Nakuru East and West, she says the project focuses on strengthening democratic participation by empowering young people to take leadership roles within their communities.