Marrakech – The demand by Moroccans living abroad to cast ballots in person in their countries of residence during the September 23, 2026 legislative elections was not granted. In its place, the authorities have instituted a proxy voting system governed by a defined procedure.
The mechanism runs through a new electronic platform, “E-procuration,” which becomes available on August 24.
Moroccan voters abroad who are registered on the general electoral rolls will reach it through two Interior Ministry sites, www.listeselectorales.ma and www.elections.ma. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched the service in coordination with the Ministry of the Interior.
Moroccan embassies and consulates have been announcing the measure since August 6, presenting it as a step to simplify participation for the diaspora.
The service does not amount to online voting. Rather, a voter abroad authorizes another eligible voter inside Morocco to cast a ballot on their behalf. The arrangement replaces the earlier procedure, under which proxies had to be authenticated at a diplomatic mission or consular center, and it removes the need to travel to an embassy for that step.
Proxy voting for Moroccans abroad is rooted in Organic Law 27.11 governing elections to the House of Representatives. Article 72 of the 2011 law allows Moroccans registered on the general electoral rolls and residing outside the kingdom to authorize another voter to cast a ballot on their behalf.
A separate framework, Organic Law 59.11 on elections to territorial-collectivity councils, later amended by Organic Law 06.21 in 2021, governs participation in regional and communal elections, including the eligibility rules applying to Moroccans residing abroad.
The proxy mechanism is therefore not a general right available to the electorate at large. It is a specific, restricted voting arrangement for Moroccans residing abroad who are already registered on the general electoral rolls, allowing them to delegate their vote without returning to Morocco.
To create a proxy, the voter enters identifying details on the platform: first and last name, national electronic identity card (CNIE) number, electoral registration number, the commune where they are registered, and the address declared at registration. The voter then adds the proxy’s name, CNIE number, and address before validating the request electronically.
Once complete, the document can be downloaded and sent to the proxy by email or regular mail. A point of ambiguity concerns the format required at the polling station. A source clarified to TelQuel that the document must be printed and presented on paper.
The law also sets limits on who may serve. The proxy need not be a family member, and need not be registered in the same electoral commune, but must appear on the rolls in a commune inside Morocco. One voter in Morocco cannot act as proxy for more than one citizen abroad.
On election day, when the proxy and the voter belong to the same polling station, the proxy votes first in their own name, then returns to the booth to cast the proxy vote, presenting the proxy document and national identity card.
The ballot itself is a double one on September 23: a vote for the local list and a second for the regional list tied to positive discrimination measures meant to strengthen the representation of women.
The content of the vote stays a matter between the two parties. The voter abroad has no guarantee that instructions will be followed, since the law bars photographing ballots inside the booth. What remains is trust between the diaspora and their chosen proxies.
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