In Kenya's general election on 9 August 2022, voters were reported queuing before polling began. The national ombudsman's election-monitoring report records that where a queue remained at the official closing time, those already waiting were allowed to vote. Malfunctioning identification equipment and late openings extended the wait at some stations.
Casting a ballot may take only a moment, but reaching that moment can consume hours otherwise used for work or family care. Electoral fairness is visible not only in the count, but in whether the person at the back of the queue can still reach the ballot box.