Malawi’s voter education campaign has earned international recognition, with the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) praising the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) for its role in building public confidence ahead of the 2025 General Election.
MEC’s ‘Weaving the Web of Truth’ campaign has been selected as one of 20 Spotlight case studies in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Atlas of Innovation in Public Communication, placing it among the highest-rated initiatives from around the world.
The UNDP Atlas, published in collaboration with Catálise Social, attracted 173 applications from 50 countries. Although 102 initiatives were selected for inclusion, only 20 received Spotlight recognition after securing the highest overall evaluation scores.
MEC said the campaign used radio, television, SMS, social media and community networks to spread verified voter information in different languages. It also worked with civil society organisations to monitor rumours and respond quickly to misinformation.
More than 9,450 radio and television slots were used during the campaign, while voter turnout increased to 76.4 percent in the September 16, 2025 General Election from 64.8 percent in the 2020 Fresh Presidential Election.
The report also found that misinformation incidents remained lower than in previous election cycles.
MEC has dedicated the recognition to its staff, civil society organisations, media houses and community partners, saying their contribution was key to the campaign’s success.
CCJP National Coordinator Lewis Msiyadungu said the recognition showed the value of cooperation among electoral stakeholders in protecting the credibility of elections.
Congratulating MEC, Msiyadungu said the campaign had strengthened public confidence in the 2025 polls and expressed hope for continued cooperation in promoting transparent, peaceful and credible elections.
