Morocco election 2026: Why voter turnout fell to 38.08%

Morocco’s September 23, 2026 legislative elections have brought voter participation back to the center of the political debate, after only 38.08% of registered voters cast ballots nationwide.

The Interior Ministry said nearly six million voters participated out of an electorate of about 15.8 million. The figure represents a significant decline from the 50.86% turnout recorded in 2021 and the 42.27% reported in 2016.

Beyond the headline number, the election has raised questions about the relationship between citizens and political institutions, particularly among younger generations.

A turnout gap with different regional patterns

Participation was far from uniform across Morocco.

The southern regions recorded substantially higher turnout rates than the national average. According to figures released by the Interior Ministry, participation reached 77% in Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra, 61% in Dakhla-Oued Eddahab and 53.48% in Guelmim-Oued Noun.

These regional differences highlight that abstention cannot be interpreted through a single national pattern.

Political scientist Abderrahim El Allam, from Cadi Ayyad University in Marrakech, told Yabiladi that the low turnout was not unexpected. He described it as a warning signal and linked part of the disengagement to dissatisfaction with broader political and social conditions.

In his assessment, abstention may reflect concerns extending beyond individual political parties or the organization of elections. He cited issues including purchasing power, human-rights policies, the response to the 2023 earthquake and the protests associated with Generation Z.

These explanations are his interpretation of voter behavior rather than an official explanation for the turnout figure.

Young voters remain a central concern

The age profile of Morocco’s electoral rolls provides another important element in understanding the participation debate.

Official figures show that voters aged 18 to 24 represented only 4% of those registered, while the 25-to-34 age group accounted for 15%. By comparison, people aged 60 and above represented more than 29% of registered voters.

The figures describe the composition of the electoral roll rather than actual turnout by age. No official age-by-age breakdown of voters who ultimately went to the polls had been published in the information available at the time.

El Allam nevertheless argues that younger citizens are an important part of the disengagement phenomenon. He distinguishes between young people who are simply uninterested in politics and those who consciously choose not to participate.

In his view, some members of Generation Z see electoral abstention as a form of political expression rather than mere indifference.

Abstention can carry different meanings

The significance of staying away from the ballot box is difficult to reduce to a single explanation.

Some voters may be dissatisfied with political parties, while others may feel that elections do not sufficiently address economic or social concerns. Others may simply have little interest in electoral politics.

El Allam connects the current situation to demonstrations involving young people in previous years, arguing that political dissatisfaction can take forms other than participation at the polls.

His comparison with the 20 February Movement is presented as an interpretation of political behavior, rather than as evidence that all abstaining voters share the same motivations.

At the same time, the strong participation recorded in several southern regions illustrates that political engagement can remain high in specific territorial and institutional contexts. The Interior Ministry has interpreted this strong turnout as evidence of citizens’ attachment to Moroccan identity and representative institutions.

Registration is not the only question

The debate has also focused on voter registration, particularly among younger citizens.

Some observers have argued that administrative procedures may discourage young people from entering the electoral process. El Allam rejects the idea that technical difficulties alone explain the low level of participation, pointing instead to the possibility of a deliberate decision by some citizens not to register or vote.

Official data show that Morocco had 15,801,162 registered voters for the 2026 legislative elections, with men accounting for 54% and women 46%. The electoral administration also carried out revisions and updates to the electoral rolls ahead of the vote.

The debate therefore extends beyond the mechanics of registration to a broader question: why does a large part of the electorate remain unconvinced that voting is an effective way to influence public policy?

Political parties face a mobilisation challenge

The turnout figures also raise questions for Morocco’s political parties.

Twenty-eight political parties, including an electoral alliance, competed for 395 seats, with more than 15.8 million people registered to vote. The Interior Ministry said political parties organized thousands of campaign activities and mobilized candidates and supporters through meetings, rallies, field visits and digital communication.

Despite that campaign activity, participation remained below the levels recorded in the previous two legislative elections.

For El Allam, this raises a question about whether the existing political offer is sufficiently convincing for younger and older voters alike. He argues that the response may require examining institutional and constitutional issues as well as the relationship between political organizations and citizens.

A debate that goes beyond one election

The 38.08% turnout does not, by itself, establish why nearly two-thirds of registered voters stayed away from polling stations. The available figures show the scale of participation, while explanations for abstention remain a matter of analysis and interpretation.

What the election does make clear is that political participation varies sharply by age profile, region and individual engagement with political institutions. The challenge for Morocco’s political system is therefore not limited to organizing elections, but also concerns how parties and institutions maintain long-term connections with citizens between electoral cycles.

As the new parliamentary term begins, the participation rate is likely to remain part of the broader discussion about representation, political engagement and the expectations of younger generations.