MEC Hands Over Polling Records to Parliament

The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has formally handed over polling records from the 2025 General Election to the Malawi Parliament, as required by section the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections Act.

Speaking during the handover ceremony at the MEC Warehouse in Blantyre on Friday, 14 November 2025, Commissioner Harry Kanjewe, said the transfer of records was a vital legal obligation designed to preserve the integrity of the electoral process.

“The handover of the polling records marks one of the final and most significant stages in the electoral cycle, symbolising closure, accountability, institutional transparency and assurance of checks and balances among various organs of government,” said Kanjewe.

He explained that although MEC concluded the announcement of official results between 20th September and 2nd October, its responsibilities did not end there.

These include ballot papers, polling station records, complaints logbooks, result forms and all supporting documentation. The records are to be preserved by Parliament for up to four months, or longer if there is an ongoing election petition.

Kanjewe emphasised that this process ensures transparency and creates a documentary trail for scrutiny and future reference.

“This is not just a legal formality, but also a vital part of the democratic process that reinforces and ensures transparency and confidence in electoral administration,” he said. “Each form, ballot box, and envelope is a record of participation — of a citizen’s choice, a polling officer’s accountability, and the collective will of Malawians that voted.”

The materials handed over include sealed ballot boxes containing unused, used, void, and cancelled ballot papers; Polling Process Records (Form 17); polling station and tally centre result forms (18A to 18C, 19A to 19C, and 20A to 20E); and incident and complaints logbooks.

Kanjewe also requested Parliament to take extra care in preserving the documents, noting that MEC is aware of ongoing electoral petitions lodged before the High Court.

“Some of these documents may have to be accessed and tendered in court as exhibits due to litigation on election results,” he said.

He further disclosed that once the statutory preservation period expires, MEC will ask Parliament to retain the voided ballots for analysis.

“Our intention is to draw lessons and use them to educate eligible voters, political parties, the media and civil society organisations so that future elections register far fewer void votes,” said Kanjewe.

Receiving the documents on behalf of Parliament, Mrs Portia Sibande, applauded MEC for fulfilling its legal mandate and maintaining professionalism throughout the electoral cycle.

“Parliament is committed to safeguarding these materials in accordance with the law, especially considering that some of them may be required for court processes.”

She added that the handover underscores the strong collaboration between MEC and Parliament and reinforces public trust in Malawi’s electoral governance.

The 2025 General Election, held on 16 September, included Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government polls. The documents handed over on Friday represent the Southern Region batch, following an earlier handover of Northern Region materials.

Both institutions expressed commitment to continue working together to strengthen Malawi’s democratic processes, from preparation and polling to preservation and review.