MEC Outlines Election Preparations, Nomination Process, and New Tech
Counting will be manual at polling stations, starting with Presidential, then Parliamentary, then Local Government ballots.
LILONGWE, Malawi – The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) on Saturday detailed its preparations for the September 16, 2025, General Election, including the conclusion of the voter register inspection, the upcoming candidate nomination process, and the introduction of Biometric Voter Identification (BVI) for polling day, writes Winston Mwale.
Speaking at a press briefing at Sunbird Capital Hotel, MEC Chairperson Justice Annabel Mtalimanja also addressed the receipt and review of an audit scope document from five political parties and called for responsible public utterances from political stakeholders.
Voter Register Inspection Concluded
Justice Mtalimanja announced the conclusion of the voter register inspection on May 31, 2025, deeming it critical for ensuring accuracy.
A total of 479,115 registered voters physically verified their details at centers, while 605,217 utilized the USSD facility (*2509#) as of June 5.
She noted that all 23 political parties, who received the electronic voters' register on May 12, had not communicated any anomalies by the May 31 deadline.
"We can, therefore, safely conclude that... all the 23 political parties also went through the electronic register and did not find any anomaly.
This should enhance the trust and credibility of the register," she said. MEC will now compile the final register.
Audit Scope Document Reviewed
The Chairperson acknowledged receipt of a joint document named “SCOPE” on May 23 from five political parties: DPP, UDF, UTM, PP, and Aford.
The document outlined objectives such as assessing security architecture, evaluating data integrity, and detecting vulnerabilities.
"The Commission meticulously and methodically reviewed the issues raised and has sent a response to the concerned parties," Justice Mtalimanja stated, adding that MEC’s decision was guided by its mandate, electoral laws, and the goal of enhancing election credibility.
Candidate Nomination Details
MEC is now focusing on candidate nominations. Justice Mtalimanja outlined eligibility criteria for Presidential, Parliamentary, and Ward Councillor positions.
Presidential candidates: Must be a citizen by birth or descent and at least 35 years old.
MP or Ward Councillor candidates: Must be a citizen, at least 21 years old, able to speak and read English sufficiently, and a registered voter in any constituency (though they can contest in any ward/constituency if they get 10 signatories from that area).
Disqualifications: Include owing allegiance to a foreign country, being of unsound mind, recent conviction for dishonesty or moral turpitude, undischarged bankruptcy, holding public office, or serving in security services (or recent conviction for violating election laws). Academic qualifications like MSCE or a degree are not eligibility criteria.
Nomination fees were confirmed as:
Presidential: K10,000,000
Parliamentary: Male candidates K2,500,000; Female, Persons with Disabilities, Youth (under 35) K1,250,000.
Local Government: Male candidates K200,000; Female, Persons with Disabilities, Youth (under 35) K100,000.
Payment will open on June 10, 2025, through FDH Bank using special deposit slips and must be in full. Fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. Parliamentary and Local Government candidates will collect nomination papers from council offices, while Presidential candidates will collect them from MEC head office in Lilongwe.
All candidates will receive the Electoral Code of Conduct, with non-compliance liable to a K5,000,000 penalty. Parties must endorse their candidates, and MEC urged stringent measures to avoid multiple endorsements.
Disability certificates for fee discounts will be issued by MACODA. Pre-inspection of nomination papers is encouraged to minimize errors, with specific dates set in June.
Nomination paper presentation will occur:
Local Government: June 20-22 at Constituency Tally Centres.
Parliamentary: July 1-5 at Constituency Tally Centres.
Presidential: July 1-5 at a venue in Lilongwe to be identified.
Approved candidates will be announced before the official campaign period starts on July 14, 2025.
Biometric Voter Identification (BVI) for Polling Day
MEC will deploy over 15,200 Biometric Voter Identification Devices (BVIDs) nationwide to digitally verify voters' identities by scanning fingerprints against a preloaded biometric database.
"If matched, the voter proceeds to cast their vote — with their name marked in the printed register for double verification," Justice Mtalimanja explained. This hybrid model will have manual registers as backup.
Benefits cited include faster identification, prevention of double voting, real-time turnout tracking, and reduced disputes.
Voting, Counting, and Results Management
Voting will remain manual at polling stations from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Voters will be verified using BVIDs and cross-checked in the physical register before receiving three ballot papers.
Counting will be manual at polling stations, starting with Presidential, then Parliamentary, then Local Government ballots.
Results will be recorded on official forms, signed by officers and agents, posted at the station, and securely transmitted to Constituency Tally Centres.
For the 2025 election, MEC is implementing a "hybrid approach, combining manual and electronic result transmission to improve speed, accuracy, and auditability."
At Tally Centres, results will undergo double-blind entry, scanning, and validation before transmission to the National Tally Centre for final checks and announcement.
Call for Responsible Public Utterances
Justice Mtalimanja concluded with an appeal to political leaders, aspiring candidates, and public influencers to uphold truthfulness and responsibility in their public statements, especially during the nomination period.
"Let us avoid making speculative claims about the process, spreading unverified rumours, or casting public doubt on the fairness of nominations without substantiated evidence," she urged, warning that fake news could undermine public trust and disrupt peace.
"Let us approach this phase with a spirit of responsibility and collaboration."