The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in Kenya is launching a digital pre-registration platform to address low voter registration among young citizens, aiming to simplify the process and boost turnout for upcoming elections.

• The new system will allow prospective voters to fill out personal details online before visiting a registration center for biometric capture, reducing queues and paperwork to an estimated three minutes per person.
• IEBC Chairperson Erastus Ethekon stated the move acknowledges that physical distance to registration centers may deter youth participation, despite their large demographic share (18 to 35 years old).
• This initiative precedes a nationwide mass registration drive scheduled for March 29, hoping to significantly increase the currently slow uptake which has seen just over 200,000 new voters registered so far.