MEC concludes handing over records to Parliament

The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has completed handing over all polling records for the 16 September 2025 General Election to the Clerk of Parliament, as required by law. The process, which was conducted by region, concluded on Monday, 24 November 2025 at the MEC Warehouse in Lilongwe.

Presiding over the ceremony, Commissioner Richard Chapweteka emphasised that the handover represents one of the final and most significant stages of election management, symbolising transparency, accountability and institutional integrity.

“Under the prevailing law, the work of the Commission does not end with the announcement of results,” he said. “Section 120 requires the Commission to deliver to the Clerk of Parliament all documents forming the official record of the election. This ensures the record of the election is preserved, protected and safely kept for a specified period.”

Commissioner Chapweteka highlighted that the materials handed over were comprehensive and included sealed ballot boxes containing used, unused, spoiled, cancelled and void ballots, result forms, summaries and notifications relating to void votes, complaint and incident logs and documentation from tally centres.

He added that some of these materials may be required in court due to election petitions filed in relation to certain results. He therefore appealed to Parliament to preserve the documents carefully, especially for areas under litigation, even after the four-month statutory preservation period ends.

“Our intention is to use the same to draw lessons and educate eligible voters, political parties, the media and civil society organisations, so that we significantly reduce the number of void votes in future elections,” he said.

“May this act remind us that democracy is not only about casting votes, but also about maintaining integrity, transparency and accountability at every stage of the process—from preparation to preservation,” he said.

In his remarks the Deputy Clerk of Parliament Joseph Manzi expressed gratitude to MEC and all stakeholders for their collaboration throughout the process.

He noted that while MEC was concluding its chapter of the election cycle, Parliament was beginning a new five-year journey with the incoming legislators whose mandates were confirmed through the very records being handed over.

Mr. Manzi congratulated the Commission for professionally managing the 16 September General Elections and acknowledged the significance of the documents being received.

He assured MEC and the public that all records previously received from Mzuzu and Blantyre warehouses are being held under strict security, and that the new consignments from the Central Region will be handled with the same level of care.

“I wish to assure you that the electoral records handed over today will be preserved properly. This responsibility is taken seriously, and all legal requirements will be met,” he added.

The Clerk also assured MEC that all electoral records previously handed over in the Mzuzu and Blantyre warehouses are being kept safely and securely until the mandatory retention period expire provided there are no court cases that require their use. He added that the records received today will be safeguarded with the same level of care and security.