Commissioner Richard Chapweteka handing over the polling documents to Deputy Clerk of Parliament, Joseph Manzi
* With emphasis on the need for Parliament to retain void votes even at the expiry of preservation period of polling documents
* The intention is to use the void votes to draw lessons from in the quest to significantly reduce the number of void votes in subsequent elections and that every vote should count
* They will also be used to civic educate eligible voters, political parties, the media and civil society organisations (CSOs) that are involved in civic and voter education
By Duncan Mlanjira
Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has concluded handing over the September 16, 2025 General Elections polling records to Parliament, with a request that the National Assembly should retain the void votes even at the expiry of the polling records’ preservation period.
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The call was made by Commissioner, Richard Chapweteka when he presented the final consignment of the polling records to Parliament done at MEC warehouse in Lilongwe, explaining that the intention is to use the void votes to draw lessons from going forward.
Chapweteka indicated part of MEC’s learning efforts during the voting exercise was the “quest to significantly reduce the number of void votes in subsequent elections and that every vote should count”.
They will also be used to civic educate eligible voters, political parties, the media and civil society organisations (CSOs) that are involved in civic and voter education.
Presentation of the polling materials for the South last week
MEC already presented to Parliament the polling records for Southern and Northern regions to Parliament being done according to regions after already done so for the Northern Region were kept in Blantyre and Mzuzu warehouses — marking the most significant stages in the management of elections that “symbolises institutional transparency and assurance of checks and balances”.
Chapweteka reiterated that Section 120 of the Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections Act (2023) requires the Chief Elections Officer to deliver to the Clerk of Parliament all documents forming the official record of the election — including ballot papers, records from polling stations, summaries of results, and all supporting documents.
“This requirement ensures that the record of the election is preserved, protected, and safely kept under the custody of the Clerk of Parliament for a specified period, not exceeding four months, unless a dispute arises.
“If there is an election petition, the law further requires that such documents remain preserved, by Parliament, until a final determination is made by the courts,” said Chapweteka, while emphasising that the process “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”.
“By transferring these records, the Commission ensures that the documentary trail of the people’s will through their vote is secured for reference, scrutiny, and historical archiving.”
He highlighted that the polling records that have been handed over are comprehensive, which include sealed ballot boxes from polling stations, containing unused and used ballot papers, counterfoils, and spoilt/cancelled as well as void ballots.
They also include the record of polling processes Form 17 and all official result forms —: Forms 18A to 18C (from polling stations), Forms 19A to 19C (constituency and ward records of results), and Forms 20A to 20E (summaries and notifications of the effect of void votes) — along with complaints and incident logbooks from polling stations (Form 16), tally centres, and the National Tally Centre records.
Chapweteka also highlighted that the preservation of the polling documents need not be over-emphasised as there are a number of petitions were filed with the High Court, challenging MEC’s decisions on some of the declared results.
“The Commission, therefore, wishes to request Parliament to preserve the records for such areas, especially at the expiry of the four months period from the declaration of the results.
He reiterated MEC’s commitment to continue working with Parliament, among other stakeholders, on matters relating elections, now and in future.
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