By Burnett Munthali
The voter registration exercise for the 2025 General Election has commenced smoothly in Karonga, with potential voters steadily arriving at Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) registration centres to ensure their names are included in the electoral register.
According to Elias Nyirenda, MEC’s District Elections Officer for Karonga, the registration process started promptly at 8:00 a.m. across all 157 centres in the district. “So far, the registration process has begun on a good note, and we have not received any reports of technical issues with devices used to capture voter details,” Nyirenda stated.
Nyirenda highlighted the coordinated effort of Constituency Civic Education Officers, Voter Registration Assistants, and Road Show Promoters, all working together to encourage people to register and participate in next year’s elections. He also urged stakeholders such as the National Initiative for Civic Education Trust (NICET) and accredited civil society organizations to assist in mobilizing more people for the registration process.
The registration exercise in Karonga, which is part of the first phase of the nationwide voter registration, will run from October 21 to November 3. This year, MEC has adopted a new voter registration system using Election Management Devices, aimed at improving the efficiency of the process.
Chikondi Mtunga, the Principal Registration Officer for the National Registration Bureau (NRB) in Karonga, mentioned that his office has deployed 157 Identity Verification Officers to support individuals facing challenges with their national IDs during registration. “These officers are stationed at all MEC registration centres, and Headteachers from 37 schools will also distribute uncollected National IDs to ensure a smooth registration process,” Mtunga added.
The registration efforts in Karonga are crucial for ensuring all eligible voters are able to participate in the 2025 General Election, and authorities remain optimistic that the exercise will be successful.
