Malawi’s Parliament has approved a landmark amendment to the country’s electoral law, allowing thousands of deployed officers and essential workers to cast their ballots outside their registered constituencies during the general elections scheduled for September 16.
During an extraordinary session held on Tuesday in Lilongwe, lawmakers passed the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections Amendment Bill No. 23 of 2025.
The move comes amid growing concerns that critical personnel—such as security forces, election officials, journalists, and political party agents—faced possible disenfranchisement due to their professional obligations on polling day.
Previously, Article 74 of Malawi’s Electoral Law strictly required voters to cast their ballots at their original registration centres, posing logistical and legal barriers for those deployed away from home on election duty.
“The amendment will allow citizens deployed by their employer on election day to vote elsewhere than at their initial registration center,” explained Richard Banda, leader of the parliamentary majority, in a statement following the session.
Under the new framework, the Malawi Electoral Commission will have the authority to grant special voting arrangements for affected voters, provided that proper verification procedures are followed in advance of election day.
The session was convened at the directive of President Lazarus Chakwera, following the official dissolution of Parliament on July 23, in order to address urgent electoral concerns ahead of the national vote.
The reform marks a significant step toward inclusive and participatory democracy in Malawi, ensuring that essential service providers are not excluded from the electoral process due to the nature of their assignments.
With the amendment now in place, the Malawi Electoral Commission is expected to begin implementing the necessary logistical preparations to accommodate eligible voters who will be stationed away from their registered polling centres on September 16.
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