Morocco's legislative elections on 23 September 2026 recorded abstention of 61.98% among registered voters, leaving turnout at 38.02%, its lowest level since 2007. The Ministry of Interior reported the final figure, also confirmed by Reuters. Turnout was above 50% in 2021. A minority of the registered electorate will elect the 395-seat Parliament.
Voting proceeded normally across the country, though authorities reported one arrest in Tangier. Police detained a person near a polling station after finding a bag containing ballot papers. Local media said the papers appeared to belong to a party in the governing majority. Local authorities said they had opened a judicial investigation. Official participation stood at 4.23% by 10:00 on election day and rose to 11.34% by 12:00, information from the Ministry of Interior. Turnout was weak from the morning.
The Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating a video shared on social media that shows a ballot box containing numerous papers. Local media reports said the papers may have been placed there before voting began to benefit a political party. Prosecutors in Tangier opened an inquiry into footage showing a transparent ballot box and white envelopes or papers. They stressed that the inquiry itself does not establish fraud. The allegation remains under investigation and has not been presented as an established result. The Public Prosecutor’s Office said it received 93 election-related complaints between 21 August and 15 September 2026. Authorities reported that 92% had been dealt with.
Participation has been falling for years. Abstention reached 57% in 2016 and 49.6% in 2021. The previous election still produced the highest turnout in two decades, with slightly more than half of registered voters casting ballots. In 2026, official participation reached 28.05% by 17:00, then ended at 38.02%.
This year's electoral roll contained 15.8 million people in a country of roughly 38 million. The official register included 15,801,162 voters, who were electing 395 members of the House of Representatives. Voters aged between 18 and 24 made up only 4% of the register. Estimates put the number of Moroccans entitled to vote at close to 28 million, leaving a large gap between eligibility and registration.
The 61.98% abstention rate applies to registered voters, not every Moroccan who may be entitled to vote. Low registration among young people, combined with repeated high abstention, points to the electoral system's failure to bring a large share of the population into the formal process. Analysts and review publications have linked the pattern to long-term voter apathy and weak participation among younger citizens.
Security was especially visible along the borders with Ceuta and Melilla after calls for new irregular crossings. The deployment followed the 30 July entry of around 70,000 people into Ceuta, described as the largest migration crisis between Morocco and Spain. The border context was also detailed in an earlier border report.
The final count was expected late into the Moroccan night. Seats are allocated information from the number of registered voters in each constituency, not the number of valid votes. The system encourages fragmentation and prevents an outright majority.
Once the definitive results are announced, King Mohamed VI will appoint the leader of the first-placed party as head of government. That party will have to negotiate a coalition. The outgoing government is led by businessman Aziz Ajanouch and brings together RNI and PAM, alongside Istiqlal. The coalition spans liberal and conservative currents, with Istiqlal representing nationalism. The 38.02% turnout leaves the next government with a narrower democratic base than the previous one, even as it receives its legal mandate under the established rules.
