Voter Registration Crisis: MEC Faces Pressure Amid National ID Challenges
As Malawi’s voter registration process for the September 16, 2025 General Elections hits a critical phase, stakeholders are raising alarm over ongoing challenges tied to national identity (ID) registration, which are preventing many eligible voters from registering. Despite these challenges, the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has firmly ruled out extending the second phase of the registration exercise, leaving many questioning whether the process will be inclusive and accessible to all eligible citizens.
The second phase of voter registration, which started on November 9, 2024, and is set to close on November 22, 2024, has been met with significant obstacles. The phase is taking place in several districts, including Likoma, Nkhata Bay, Ntcheu, Kasungu, Dowa, Mchinji, Blantyre, Zomba, Luchenza, and Thyolo. However, the exercise has been marred by delays and inefficiencies in the National Registration Bureau (NRB), which is tasked with issuing national IDs—a requirement for voter registration.
National ID Delays Frustrate Voter Registration
The first few days of the second phase were particularly problematic, with NRB staff and equipment absent at many registration centres. This hindered citizens from acquiring the national IDs they need to register as voters, in line with the High Court ruling that national IDs must be issued first. As a result, many people were unable to proceed with the voter registration process, despite their eagerness to do so.
Recent spot-checks have shown some improvement, with NRB personnel now present in some centres, but the situation remains far from ideal. Registrants report being told they must wait several days after obtaining their national ID before they can proceed with voter registration.
Olive Mpina, the Executive Director of the Pan African Civic Educators Network (Pacenet), whose organization is monitoring the voter registration process, explained that there was a delay in NRB’s deployment to many registration centres, which further exacerbated the situation. “In many centres, people without IDs are still being turned back,” Mpina noted. “We feel it is important for MEC to extend the second phase of voter registration to allow people to register for IDs and then proceed with voter registration with MEC.”
MEC Rejects Extension Despite Calls
Despite the concerns raised by civil society groups and opposition parties, the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has ruled out any extension to the second phase of voter registration. MEC Communications Officer Richard Mveriwa stated that the commission was “impressed” with the turnout at the voter registration centres during the current phase and is expecting more people to register in the final days of the exercise.
“We cannot extend the second phase,” Mveriwa said. “MEC extended phase one of the voter registration exercise because of issues with NRB, but phase two will not be extended. The turnout has been good, and we are confident that the final days of the registration process will see more people show up.”
Growing Concerns About National ID Access
Stakeholders remain deeply concerned about the ongoing ID registration issues, which continue to prevent many eligible voters from participating. Praise Mwenegamba, a Project Officer with the Institute for Policy Interaction (IPI), reported that in some centres, more than 100 people per day are being sent home due to not having national IDs, even though they are willing to register.
Mwenegamba emphasized that these problems are not limited to a few centres. “We are seeing a widespread issue where citizens are eager to register, but they cannot proceed due to citizenship registration challenges,” he said.
This situation has sparked criticism from opposition parties, who argue that the NRB’s lack of capacity to handle the national ID process is compromising the entire voter registration exercise. They are calling for the suspension of the exercise until the ID registration issues are resolved.
Protests Planned Amid Election Concerns
In response to the ongoing challenges, the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI), a civil society organization, has announced plans to hold demonstrations in Lilongwe on November 21, 2024. The protests aim to call for the suspension of the voter registration exercise and highlight their concerns over the involvement of Smartmatic, the company that is supplying election management devices (EMDs) for the registration process.
The Smartmatic involvement has also been controversial, with critics questioning the adequacy of the technology and whether it can handle the registration process effectively. As the protests loom, it is clear that the electoral process is facing intense scrutiny and public pressure.
MEC’s Initial Success in Phase One, But Questions Remain
As of the first phase of the registration process, MEC had successfully registered 2,224,307 people, which represents 65 percent of the projected target of 3,423,066 individuals. However, with only a few days remaining in the second phase, the question remains: will the remaining 35 percent of eligible voters be able to register, especially given the ongoing national ID challenges?
Conclusion: A Race Against Time
The controversy over the voter registration exercise highlights deep frustrations with the lack of preparedness in the national ID registration process. While MEC has insisted that the second phase will not be extended, the pressure from civil society, opposition parties, and the general public is building for the government to take more decisive action to ensure that all eligible Malawians are able to participate in the upcoming elections.
With just a few days left in the second phase of voter registration, the stakes are high for ensuring that no eligible voter is left behind due to administrative inefficiencies or capacity limitations at the NRB. As the situation unfolds, it remains to be seen whether MEC will revisit its position or if the ongoing protests and public pressure will force a change in course.
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