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Chagua · Civic education

From ballot box to results

After polls close, votes are counted where they were cast, in public view. This page explains how the counting works, what the IEBC results forms mean, and how anyone who disputes a result can go to court.

Step 1: Counting at the polling station

When voting ends at 5 pm, the presiding officer counts and records the ballots in the presence of party agents, observers and media. At recent by-elections the IEBC said agents may photograph the original results forms and that copies are displayed at the polling station.

For the presidential race, the results are written on Form 34A. Candidates' agents sign it. The presiding officer scans the form with the IEBC's electronic kit and sends the image to the national tallying centre. In 2022 the IEBC said the form sent electronically and the form delivered on paper are the same document. Other races (Governor, Senator, Woman Representative, MP and MCA) use their own numbered forms.

Step 2: The constituency tally

The returning officer for each constituency collects the Forms 34A from that constituency's polling stations, adds them up, and records the total on Form 34B. There are 290 constituencies, so there are 290 of these forms.

Step 3: The national tally

The Forms 34B are sent to the national tallying centre. The IEBC combines them on Form 34C, and the IEBC chairperson, as the national returning officer for the presidential election, declares the result.

How you can check results yourself

In 2022 the IEBC published the polling-station results forms online, so anyone could compare the totals with what was announced. Look for the IEBC's public results portal, and check that the figures on Forms 34A add up to the constituency and national totals. Rely on the IEBC's own portal, and be careful with screenshots you see on social media.

What counts as a winner

  • President: more than half of all votes cast, and at least 25% of the votes in more than half of the counties, which means at least 24 of the 47. In 2022, the declared winner had 50.49% of the votes and reached the 25% mark in 39 counties.
  • If nobody meets both tests, a fresh election is held within 30 days between the two candidates with the most votes, and whoever gets more votes in that run-off wins.
  • All other races: the candidate with the most votes wins.

If someone disputes the result

Presidential election. Anyone who disagrees can file a petition in the Supreme Court within 7 days of the declaration. The Supreme Court has 14 days to hear and decide it, and its decision is final. If no petition is filed, the President-elect is sworn in on the 14th day after the declaration. If a petition is filed, the swearing-in is on the 7th day after the court rules the election valid.

All other elections. A petition must be filed within 28 days after the results are declared. The High Court hears and decides it, and must do so within six months of the petition being filed.

The IEBC has said that disputes over results must be settled through the courts, which is the route the law sets out.

Why the forms matter

Because results are recorded at the polling station in public view, signed by agents and then added upward, the forms let independent people check the numbers. That is one reason agents and observers matter, and one reason you should be careful about "results" that come from anywhere else.

Frequently asked questions

Who announces the winner? For the presidential race, the IEBC chairperson declares the result after the national tally. Returning officers declare the winners of the other races in their areas.

Can results be changed after the polling station? In 2022 the IEBC chairperson said the results recorded on Form 34A at the polling station are the basis for the tally, and that a complaint about a discrepancy is settled by the presiding officer at the station or, for the presidential race, by the Supreme Court.

What if there is a run-off? It is held within 30 days, and only the top two candidates take part.

Sources

Last reviewed: 21 September 2026. Spotted a mistake? Email [email protected].

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