Morocco to hold parliamentary election on September 23 with 27 parties competing

September 17, 2026 at 07:47 AM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Morocco will hold parliamentary elections on September 23, with 27 political parties competing for 395 seats in the House of Representatives. More than 15.8 million voters are registered for the vote, which will determine Parliament's composition and play a central role in forming the next government. The election comes as an Afrobarometer survey found roughly a third of Moroccans aged 18 to 35 expressed trust in Parliament, the head of government and political parties.

Key Facts

The election campaign began on September 10, with 27 political parties competing for 395 seats in the House of Representatives.
More than 15.8 million voters are registered for the September 23 vote.
An Afrobarometer survey published in March found that roughly a third of Moroccans aged 18 to 35 expressed trust in Parliament, the head of government and political parties.
Voters aged 18 to 24 account for 4 percent of those registered, while people aged 60 and above account for 29 percent.
The IMF estimates that unemployment among 15-to-24-year-olds reached 37.3 percent in 2025.

Electoral Framework

Morocco's electoral politics operate within the constitutional framework established in 2011. The constitution defines Morocco as a constitutional, democratic, parliamentary and social monarchy and establishes a separation and balance of powers while preserving the monarchy's central institutional role. Under Article 47, the king appoints the head of government from the political party that comes first in elections to the House of Representatives. The king also presides over the Council of Ministers, while the government exercises executive power and Parliament exercises legislative and oversight functions.

Youth Engagement and Unemployment

Young Moroccans were more likely than older Moroccans to post political content on social media and participate in demonstrations, according to the Afrobarometer survey. Official figures show that voters aged 18 to 24 account for 4 percent of those registered, while people aged 60 and above account for 29 percent. The IMF estimates that unemployment stood at 13 percent in 2025, while unemployment among 15-to-24-year-olds reached 37.3 percent. The IMF estimates that 25.2 percent of young people were not in employment, education or training in the third quarter of 2025. The IMF also points to skills mismatches, limited private-sector dynamism and pronounced gender disparities in labour-market participation.