ACCREDITATION OF ELECTION OBSERVERS FOR THE 17 MARCH 2026 PARLIAMENTARY AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT BY-ELECTIONS
The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), in accordance with Section 102—106 of the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections Act, is pleased to announce a call for applications for accreditation of both local and international observers for the Parliamentary and Local Government By-Elections to be conducted on 17 March 2026.
The guideline criteria for application and qualification are presented below.
Who Can Apply?
- Those previously accredited as Election Observers for 16 September 2015 General Election:
All Civil Society Organisations, foreign government and foreign missions, the academia and individuals who were accredited to observe the 2025 General Election need not to fill the forms again but rather submit a letter of intent to observe the elections with full list of their members to be involved.
However, if institutionally accredited observers intend to field new members among their observation team, the accredited institution will be required to sign for a declaration for the new members in the accreditation form.
- New observers:
In the case of those not previously accredited for the 16 September 2025 General Election, those intending to be accredited as observers will be required to fill the form for accreditation and submit together with their digital passport-size profile pictures.
Application Form
All new observer applicants will be required to fill the official application form which can be downloaded from the Malawi Electoral Commission website: https://mec.org.mw/2025-accreditation/
Supporting Documents
Applicants will be required to submit relevant documentation, including organizational profile, accreditation details, observer credentials, and the intended number of observers to be deployed and all the other necessary documents listed in the form
Code of Conduct
All accredited election observers shall be required to subscribe to and be bound by a code of conduct governing observers issued by the Commission under the Act which calls on observers to demonstrate a commitment to impartiality, transparency, and adherence to the existing electoral laws of Malawi.
Application Deadline
The deadline for submitting letter of intent for those accredited for the 16 September 2025 General Election and applications for new observers is 29th January 2026.
How to Apply
Applications for observers to be stationed at Voter Registration Centres, Polling Stations, and Constituency Tally Centres should be sent to the respective MEC District Election Offices.
Applications for ROVING OBSERVERS should be sent electronically to the MEC Head Office with all supporting documents.
The Chief Elections Officer
Malawi Electoral Commission
Chisankho House
Private Bag 113
Lilongwe
email ceo@mec.org.mw
Contact Information:
Enquiries may be directed to the Director of Media and Public Relations, Mr. Sangwani Mwafulirwa on 0999274304 or email smwafulirwa@mec.org.mw.