Road to September 2025 Elections: Enhancing elections integrity and mitigating the potential of vote rigging

A group known as Citizens for Credible Elections (CfCE) recently held protests in Lilongwe, where they called for the resignation of Annabel Mtalimanja and Andrew Mpesi, who serve as Chairperson and Chief Elections Officer of the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), respectively.

This demand was made due to the rejection of the opposition parties’ suggestion to conduct an independent audit of the MEC’s electoral system.

They also demanded  that MEC should  refrain from implementing the Smartmatic elections system in overseeing the voting process due to concerns of election rigging.

If these demands are not fulfilled, what actions can voters and political parties in Malawi take to prevent vote tampering, ultimately enhancing the integrity and credibility of the election?

Regrettably, there is a widespread misconception that smartmatic devices will be utilized for electronic voting. However, this is incorrect. Both the casting and counting of votes will be done by hand. However, the transmission of results from local districts to national tally centre will be carried out electronically.

Despite the controversies surrounding the use of smartmatic voting systems in Venezuela, Kenya, Uganda, and Zambia due to potential vote tampering, there is evidence that other countries like Argentina, United Kingdom, Belgium and Singapore have successfully implemented this system for managing elections.

 This article therefore examines the main techniques used for potential vote tampering and proposes ways to reduce the associated risks in environments where both manual and electronic voting methods are utilized.

First, people have the ability to manipulate ballot boxes before or after casting their votes by either inserting fake ballots or taking out valid ones.

 To prevent ballot box tampering, use seals that show evidence of tampering on the boxes and have them under supervision from unbiased observers and representatives from different political parties.

Second , it is possible for voters to be intimidated or forced to vote a particular way, or they may even be denied the opportunity to vote.

In Malawi, political violence has become a prominent issue that may make some voters feel intimidated and discouraged from voting. Therefore, vote apathy is being encouraged.

 It is crucial to address these occurrences of political violence immediately and hold those responsible accountable through prosecution.

 To address this issue, stringent laws should be implemented to prevent voter intimidation, polling stations should be monitored for security, and independent observers should be present to report any instances of wrongdoing.

Third, while manually tallying votes, there is a potential for errors or tampering in order to benefit a specific candidate or party.

 It is important to implement an open and fair counting procedure with representatives from all parties present. Additionally, independent observers should be utilized to confirm the accuracy of the count and its outcome.

 Fourth, following the counting process, there is a possibility of altering the results before they are sent to the central tally centre.

 To prevent this, a system of checks and balances should be put in place. This can include having party representatives and observers sign multiple copies of the results before they are transmitted.

 Fifth, the potential for hacking or unauthorized entry during the online dissemination of outcomes can result in the manipulation of these results.

 It is important to utilize secure and encrypted channels for transmitting data, as well as regularly conducting cybersecurity audits. MEC and political parties should work together to adhere to proper cybersecurity best practices.

Sixth, it is possible that there may be inconsistencies between the results recorded at the district level and those sent to the national tally centre.

To address this, a uniform reporting format should be established and it should be mandatory for the results to be made public at every polling station and district level for verification by the general public

Seventh, educating voters about their rights and the electoral process is crucial in equipping them with the ability to report any inconsistencies.

Eighth, It is crucial to extend an invitation to international observers to oversee the entire election process, including voting, vote counting, and the transmission and tallying of election results.

Ninth, the commissioners of MEC who represent political parties especially the Democratic Progressive Party need to be fully convinced before officially approving the election results.

Tenth, it is necessary for all opposing parties to create a parallel national tally centre in order to verify the results from the MEC’s primary national tally centre.

In conclusion , it is envisaged that by implementing these measures, the integrity of the electoral process can be better safeguarded, reducing the potential for rigging and increasing public confidence in the election outcomes.

In Malawi, it is possible to have tripartite general elections in 2025 that are free, fair and credible.