Mozambique Election Tracker
On 9 October, Mozambicans will vote in the 7th presidential and legislative elections as well as the 4th provincial elections. Mozambique’s electoral system is a mixed system combining proportional representation and majoritarian principles.
Presidential Elections: Mozambique elects its president using a majoritarian system. A candidate must win more than 50% of the votes to avoid a second round. If no candidate secures a majority, a runoff is held between the top two candidates.
Legislative Elections: Mozambique’s parliament, the Assembly of the Republic, uses a proportional representation system. The assembly has 250 members, with the country divided into multi-member constituencies based on provinces. Voters cast ballots for political parties, and seats are allocated according to the proportion of votes each party receives. In Mozambique the D’Hondt method is used to calculate the number of seats each political party gets based on their votes. The D’Hondt method is a proportional representation system which approximates proportionality by minimising the largest seats-to-votes ratio among all parties. This ensures that even smaller parties can gain representation, though larger parties tend to get slightly more seats than they would under a purely proportional system.
Provincial and Municipal Elections: For provincial assemblies, elections follow a similar proportional system. Municipalities elect both local assemblies and mayors, with the mayors elected by a first-past-the-post system (the candidate with the most votes wins).
Election Oversight: Mozambique has an independent electoral body, the National Electoral Commission (CNE), responsible for overseeing elections. The Technical Secretariat for Electoral Administration (STAE) manages the logistics of voting processes.
As Mozambique’s election campaign gets underway, 44 electoral offences have been recorded and 30 arrests, mostly tied to 24 acts of vandalism against party materials. As the country approaches its October 9 general elections, where over 17 million voters will select the president, parliament, and provincial leaders, authorities are appealing for calm. Police chief Bernardino Rafael has emphasised the need for peace and unity during this period.
Concerns about the logistics of the elections persist, particularly around funding for polling station staff (MMVs). Despite initiating training, the? has openly admitted that it does not currently have the funds to pay MMVs, raising the possibility of disruptions. Compounding this is the issue of political interference, with a recent incident involving a fake tender in Quelimane –allegedly linked to the ruling Frelimo party, further heightening suspicions about the fairness of the process. These factors, along with the political tension on the ground, are generating uncertainty ahead of the polls, with questions about the ability to ensure a smooth and transparent election.
Disinformation is becoming a notable issue in Mozambique’s election campaign, with false claims circulating on social media.
A misleading rumour suggests that supporters of the opposition party, Renamo, should vote on 10 October, a day after the official election date of 9 October. MISA Mozambique, a media freedom organisation, has debunked these claims, confirming that all voters, regardless of party affiliation, must cast their ballots on the official election day. Furthermore, there will be no separate or special ballot boxes for Renamo votes.
This type of disinformation highlights the ongoing challenge of misinformation during the election period and underscores the need for voters to rely on verified sources to avoid confusion and ensure their participation in the electoral process is valid.
