Morocco’s Parliamentary Election Heads Toward Sept. 23 Vote
Morocco’s parliamentary election is entering its final campaign phase ahead of a September 23, 2026, vote for the 395-seat House of Representatives. The Interior Ministry reported that 1,850 candidate lists containing 7,288 candidacies were submitted nationwide after filing closed.
The official campaign began in the first hours of September 10 and must end at midnight on September 22. More than 15.8 million voters are registered, according to Anadolu Agency, which reported that 27 political parties are competing in the election.
What voters will decide
Morocco elects members of the House by direct universal suffrage through party lists. The vote will determine the makeup of the lower chamber and set the parliamentary balance for forming the next government.
The official election portal lists 395 seats and 27 participating political parties. A separate Interior Ministry statement says 28 political formations took part in the filing process, including a coalition formed for this election. The two figures appear to reflect different counting methods: the portal counts political parties, while the ministry statement includes the election-specific coalition as a formation. The available documents do not provide a further official reconciliation.
The ministry said filing ended September 9. It reported 1,615 lists for local constituencies and 235 lists for regional constituencies reserved exclusively for women. Female candidates accounted for 2,658 of the 7,288 candidacies, or 36.47 percent, according to the ministry’s provisional filing data.
Why the largest party matters
Article 47 of Morocco’s 2011 Constitution says the king appoints the head of government from the political party that comes first in elections to the House of Representatives, in light of the results. The constitutional text also says the king appoints government members on the head of government’s proposal.
That gives the largest party a constitutional advantage, but it does not allow it to govern alone automatically. The appointed head of government must still negotiate with other parties and assemble a workable parliamentary coalition before a cabinet can be formed.
The 2021 governing coalition was formed around the National Rally of Independents, the Authenticity and Modernity Party, and Istiqlal. Anadolu Agency reported that those parties won the largest seat totals in 2021, while Al Jazeera described tensions, accusations and competition among the governing allies before this year’s campaign. Those reports provide political context, but they do not establish that the coalition has formally dissolved or predict the election result.
Campaign rules and the next milestones
Morocco’s campaign rules restrict electioneering in public administrations, schools, vocational-training institutions and places of worship. They also prohibit using gifts, donations or other benefits to influence voters, as well as using violence, intimidation or threats to affect how people vote.
The rules also address digital activity. The Interior Ministry says distributing campaign posters, leaflets or other election material on election day—including through social media, streaming services, artificial-intelligence tools or other online platforms—can lead to criminal penalties. Paid political advertising or election publications on foreign platforms are also subject to restrictions under the cited rules.
Campaign accounts must be filed within 90 days after the results are proclaimed, both electronically and on paper. The Court of Accounts is responsible for examining the accounts.
The immediate timetable is clear: campaigning ends at midnight on September 22, voting takes place on September 23, and the official election portal says provisional-result announcements begin from September 24. Constitutional validation comes before the formation of the new government and the appointment of its head.
Until voters cast their ballots, the candidate totals, registered electorate and reported coalition disputes are facts about the campaign—not evidence of who will win, how many people will vote or whether the current governing arrangement will continue.
Sources
Look for updates to this story
Discover more from Interactive News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.