At Stake in this Election:  

• The Presidency and Vice-Presidency of Malawi 

Elections for the National Assembly are occuring concurrently.

Government Structure: 

• Chief of State: President Lazarus McCarthy CHAKWERA (since 2 Jun 2014) 

• Head of Government: President Lazarus McCarthy CHAKWERA (since 2 Jun 2014) 

• Assembly: unicameral National Assembly with 193 seats. 

Electoral System:  

• The President is elected via majority vote, in up to two rounds, to a once consecutively renewable 5-year term.  

• All 193 seats in the National Assembly are elected by plurality vote in single-seat constituencies to a 5-year term. 

Last Election: 

In the last election in 2020, Lazarus McCarthy CHAKWERA of the Democratic Progressive Party won with 59% of the vote. Voter turnout was 65%. 

New/Unique in this Election: 

In 2023, Malawi passed a new full electoral code, the Presidential, Parliamentary, and Local Government Elections Act of 2023. Changes made by this act include establishing a two-round system for Presidential elections, specifying polling hours, declaring election day a national holiday, and expanding electoral offenses. This will be the first election under the new electoral code. 

Key Deadlines: 

• Candidate filing deadline: 30 Jul 2025 

• Voter registration deadline: 11 Dec 2024 

Main Candidates in this Election:  

• Lazarus McCarthy CHAKWERA 

• • Party: Malawi Congress Party (MCP) 

• Joyce Hilda BANDA 

• • Party: People’s Party (PP) 

• Thokozani Manyika BANDA 

• • Party: Independent 

• Akwame BANDAWE 

• • Party: Anyyamata, Atsikana, Azimayi (AAA) 

• Kamuzu CHIBAMBO 

• • Party: People’s Transformation Party (PETRA) 

• Adil James CHILUNGO 

• • Party: Independent 

• Cosmas Felix CHIPOJOLA 

• • Party: Independent 

• Dalitso KABAMBE 

• • Party: UTM Party (UTM) 

• Arthur Peter MUTHARIKA 

• • Party: Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) 

• Atupele Austin MULUZI 

• • Party United Democratic Front (UDF) 

• Phunziro MVULA 

• • Party: Independent 

• Frank MWENIFUMBO 

• • Party: National Development Party (NDP) 

• Kondwani NANKHUMWA 

• • Party: People’s Development Party (PDP) 

• Jordan SAUTI 

• • Party: Patriotic Citizens Party (PCP) 

• Smart Mulumbe SWIRA 

• • Party: Independent 

• Milward TOBIAS 

• • Party: Independent 

• Michael Bizwick USI 

• • Party: Odya Zake Alibe Mlandu (Odya Zake) 

Population and Registered Voters: 

• Population: 21,655,286 (2024 est.) 

• Registered Voters: 7,203,390 (2025) 

Gender Data: 

• Female Population: 11,088,242 (2024 est.) 

• CEDAW Status: Acceded 12 Mar 1987 

• Gender Quota: No 

• Female Candidates in this election: Yes 

• Number of Female Legislators (pre-election): 40 of 193 (20%) in Parliament  

• Human Development Index (HDI) Position: 0.517, Low, Rank 172 (2023) 

• Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: 31.5 (2023) 

Disability Data: 

• CRPD Status: Signed 08 Apr 2008, Ratified 19 Jul 2010 

• Projected population with a disability: 3,464,846 (2024 est.) 

IFES Resources: 

• ElectionJudgments: Yes, 3 judgements.