Students who live far from their schools where they registered for the forthcoming General Elections are expected to either fail to cast their votes or incur significant travel costs to reach their designated polling stations.
The issue has arisen because the academic calendar for the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education shows schools are scheduled to reopen on September 22, 2025, meaning students will be on holiday during the September 16 voting date.
The Ministry of Basic Education and Secondary Education initially released a statement on Thursday announcing that the school opening date would be moved from September 22 to September 15 to allow students to exercise their voting rights.
However, following public criticism over the timing of the announcement, the ministry reversed its decision and confirmed that the opening date remains September 22.
Speaking at a press briefing on Saturday in Lilongwe at the Bingu Wa Mutharika International Convention Center, Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) Chairperson Justice Annabel Mtalimanja announced there would be no further voter transfers, with exceptions only for commission staff deployed to work at polling stations where they did not register.
“Under the amended Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections Act, only three categories of voters are permitted to apply for authorization to vote at polling stations of their deployment,” she explained.
These categories include:
Polling staff of the commission
Members of state security agencies deployed to polling stations by MEC
Accredited and designated representatives or party monitors
Justice Mtalimanja explained that eligible voters from these categories must apply for authorization to the constituency returning officer where they plan to vote. Upon verification, they will receive an authorization certificate (Form 29), which must be presented along with their national identification card and voter registration certificate to the presiding officer on polling day.
Applications to vote elsewhere must be submitted before 6 PM on September 15, and only individuals—not party leaders—may make such applications.
“During registration, we emphasized that there was an opportunity for transfers, and those interested managed to do so. However, some people, including students, did not take advantage of this opportunity,” Justice Mtalimanja said.
“According to the law, a person is supposed to vote at the polling station where they registered. There is no special consideration for students to vote elsewhere, apart from the three categories I mentioned, as this was determined by parliament.
“Students who registered to vote while at school and are currently on holiday are advised to travel to the places where they registered and then return home,” she added.
MEC has urged political parties, independent candidates’ representatives, and accredited observers from Civil Society Organizations to attend the pre-checking of polling materials on Monday, September 15. The exercise will begin at 9 AM, and MEC emphasized punctuality, stating they will not wait for late arrivals.
Following the pre-checking, the commission will conduct training for party representatives, independent candidates’ representatives, and polling staff as part of capacity building. However, MEC will not provide transportation or meals for party and candidate representatives.
MEC has issued a stern warning against conducting campaign activities outside the officially designated period.
Justice Mtalimanja announced that the campaign period will officially close on Sunday, September 14, at 6:00 AM, emphasizing the importance of strict adherence to this deadline.
She specifically urged media outlets to refrain from publishing campaign-related content after the campaign window closes on Sunday morning.
The MEC chairperson also addressed politicians who have been sponsoring sporting tournaments in their constituencies, directing them not to present prizes to winning teams and players once the campaign period ends.
“MEC is committed to ensuring fair electoral processes and preventing any activities that could constitute illegal campaigning outside the regulated timeframe,” Mtalimanja concluded.
