By Macmillan Mhone
Copyright mwnation
Turnout for the September 16 2025 General Election registered an improvement over previous elections, but the rate of null and void votes in the presidential race worsened to 2.8 percent of total votes cast, data show.
Based on Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) data, the 2.8 percent is more than double the 1.28 percent recorded in the court-sanctioned 2020 Fresh Presidential Election.
During the recent presidential election, 155 225 votes were declared null and void out of 5 502 982 votes cast compared to 57 323 out of 4 445 699 votes in 2020.
The data further show that the rate of null and void votes stood at 1.4 percent in the 2019 Tripartite Elections, one percent in 2014 and 0.1 percent in 2009.
By district, Dedza, with 10 610 null and void votes and Salima with 5 236, recorded the highest rate of 4.1 percent followed by Lilongwe District with 22 545 representing 3.7 percent.
The lowest rates of null and void votes were recorded in Zomba City with 1.4 percent, Phalombe with 1.5 percent and Chitipa with 1.7 percent.
On turnout, 5 502 982 people cast their ballots representing 76.4 percent of the 7 203 390 registered voters, marking an increase from 64.8 percent in 2020.
MEC data show that turnout in 2009 was 74.1 percent which dropped to 70.7 percent in 2014 before rising to 74.4 percent in 2019.
The highest election turnout in the country was recorded in 1999 with 93 percent while the lowest was 59 percent in 2004.
Civil Society Elections Integrity Forum chairperson Benedicto Kondowe and political analyst Ernest Thindwa said yesterday the turnout shows voters were motivated to change the government due to economic challenges rocking the country.
“The turnout also reflects renewed confidence in the electoral process, strengthened by transparency and accountability, reforms and the credibility of the MEC,” Kondowe said.
On void votes, Kondowe attributed the rise to inadequate voter education stating that fewer than 20 out of the 121 organisations which MEC accredited to conduct civic and voter education lacked funding to carry out the exercise.
On the other hand, Thindwa noted that the presence of 17 presidential candidates on the same ballot paper reduced the size of boxes for ticking a voter’s choice.
Meanwhile, National Initiative for Civic Education executive director Grey Kalindekafe, while welcoming the improved turnout, described the 2.8 percent rate as high.
“Going forward, we will be conducting mock voting sessions for people to practice how they can mark the ballots,” he said.
Speaking when she presented presidential election results in Lilongwe on Wednesday, MEC chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja said the commission did not examine the void votes as they could not affect the outcome.
Former President Peter Mutharika won the presidential poll with 3 035 249 votes representing 56.8 percent of valid votes, defeating President Lazarus Chakwera received 1 765 170 votes representing 33 percent.
