Malawi to Conduct Pilot Voter Registration in Eight Districts
The commission is targeting eligible Malawian citizens and long-term residents who are at least 18 years old or will turn 18 by Sept. 16, 2025.
LILONGWE, Malawi— The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) announced Saturday it will conduct a pilot voter registration exercise in eight districts across the country this month, as preparations for future elections get underway, writes Winston Mwale.
The two-phase pilot will take place from Sept. 13-14 and Sept. 18-19 in selected areas of Mzuzu, Balaka, Dedza, Blantyre, Chitipa, Neno, Nsanje, and Lilongwe, according to a statement from Sangwani Mwafulirwa, the commission's director of media and public relations.
Registration centres will be open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both days, including through lunchtime.
The commission is targeting eligible Malawian citizens and long-term residents who are at least 18 years old or will turn 18 by Sept. 16, 2025.
Participants must present a valid or expired national ID card or a system-generated receipt with their unique national ID number to register.
However, the commission emphasized that those participating in the pilot will still need to register again when the official voter registration begins.
The National Registration Bureau will deploy teams to each pilot registration centre to address any identification document issues.
Political parties, civil society organizations, and development partners can observe the process after accreditation, with a limit of two representatives per centre.
This pilot exercise comes as Malawi prepares for the 2025 elections, with officials aiming to test and refine the registration process.
The commission has not announced dates for the full voter registration or upcoming elections.