MEC clears air on pilot registration
Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has moved to clarify that information collected during its pilot voter registration is on trial basis and will not be used in the actual voter registration.
MEC is set to conduct pilot voter registration from September 13 2025 to test its newly adopted registration system to identify any operational challenges for Election Management Devices (EMDs).
During a Multiparty Liaison Committee (MPLC) meeting in Blantyre yesterday, party representatives expressed fears that the data from the pilot exercise could be used to tamper with the actual voter registration exercise.
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) director of planning for Blantyre Matthews Machila, UTM Party district governor Gift Malinda and Umodzi Party representative King Alfred Chaima sought assurances from MEC that the information collected during pilot voter registration exercises would not be abused.
Responding to the concerns, MEC deputy chief elections officer Andrew Kamkwalala said the EMDs to be used for the pilot exercise have been marked and at the end of the exercise, all voter information on the machines will be removed.
“The voter certificates issued during the pilot voter registration exercise will not be given to the voters but will be kept by MEC. At the end of the exercise, the certificates will be destroyed,” he said.
Kamkwalala also said voter registration certificates from the pilot phase will be detected on polling day, as such, holders will not be able to vote.
Chipping in, MEC commissioner Caroline Mfune said the pilot voter registration will be conducted in cities and remote areas in order to identify challenges in operating the EMDs in places with different weather patterns and mobile phone coverage.
“We also want to check the number of people who can be registered per hour because this will inform the actual voter registration,” she said.
Phase 1 of the pilot voter registration will take place on September 13 and 14 2024 in Mzuzu City, Dedza, Balaka and Blantyre City while phase two will cover Chitipa, Neno, Lilongwe City and Nsanje.
