By Suleman Chitera
The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has assured the public that its newly acquired Biometric Voter Verification Devices (BVVDs) will strictly be used for verifying voter identities—not for casting or counting votes.
On Thursday, MEC officially received 6,450 BVVDs, which will be deployed across the country to confirm voters’ identities using fingerprint data captured during registration.
Speaking during the handover event, MEC Commissioner Richard Chapweteka emphasized the importance of public awareness and stakeholder engagement before the devices are rolled out.
“These devices are designed to scan fingerprints and match them with existing voter records. This measure will eliminate attempts by individuals to use someone else’s voter certificate on election day,” said Chapweteka.
To ensure transparency, MEC has announced plans to conduct nationwide demonstrations and training sessions for electoral stakeholders and the public.
Political parties present at the event welcomed the development but stressed the importance of capacity-building. Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) representative Macford Somanje urged the commission to train all stakeholders thoroughly to ensure the devices are used correctly and fairly.
MEC is expecting an additional consignment of BVVDs to fully equip polling stations ahead of the crucial September 16, 2025, elections.
