The rules of the house

The electoral system

How the 395 seats are won.

The Chamber of Representatives has 395 seats.

Seats in each local district are allocated using a quotient calculated on the number of registered voters rather than valid votes cast — a rule carried over from the 2021 reform. One effect is that winning two seats in a single local district is very difficult.

For 2026, the local (6%) and national (3%) vote thresholds were abolished, and seats are allocated by the largest-remainder method.

Reserved regional lists

Seats reserved for women and youth.

For 2026, the single national list of 60 seats reserved for women and youth was replaced by 12 regional lists totaling 90 seats, reserved for women and youth.

The first two positions on each list must be held by women.

A parliamentary proposal to raise the reserved total to 132 seats was not adopted.

Candidacy & integrity

Who can run — Organic Law 53.25.

The law disqualifies a candidate caught in the act of an electoral offence.

It removes eligibility on a first-instance felony conviction — that is, before any final judgment.

A person removed from office by a final ruling is barred from candidacy for two mandate terms.

Judges, security officials, and certain civil servants may not stand for election without a lengthy separation from their post beforehand.

The Constitutional Court (ruling 259/25) upheld these provisions against objections that removing eligibility before a final conviction conflicts with the presumption of innocence, reasoning that holding parliamentary office is a constitutional function rather than an absolute right. The provisions remained contested on that point.

Digital integrity & AI

Rules on disinformation and deepfakes.

Spreading fabricated election content is punishable by 2 to 5 years in prison plus a fine.

Using AI for electoral disinformation, such as deepfakes, carries prison terms and fines of up to 100,000 MAD.

AI-driven campaigning during the electoral-silence period is prohibited, and those responsible may be prosecuted.

Public officials who improperly influence voters face 6 months to 1 year in prison plus a fine.

The provisions apply to acts committed "in bad faith and without basis" — a qualifier intended to protect legitimate journalism and citizen criticism while targeting organized disinformation.

Political financing

Donation caps and spending limits — Organic Law 54.25.

The annual cap on an individual's donations to parties was raised from 800,000 to 1,000,000 MAD.

Penalties for financing-law violations were raised to as much as 1,000,000 MAD.

Parties must repay public subsidy amounts that are undocumented or misused.

A candidate's campaign spending is capped at roughly 500,000 to 600,000 MAD depending on the district, with separate district-specific caps on digital advertising.

Youth candidacy incentives

Easier ballot access for candidates under 35 — Article 23.

For independent candidates under 35, the signature requirement to qualify for public funding was lowered from 5% to 2% of a district's registered voters.

The state covers 75% of a youth candidate's campaign costs, capped at 500,000 MAD.

Regional governance

Changes beyond the Chamber.

Accompanying organic laws update the rules for regions and local authorities, aiming to strengthen their financial capacity and autonomy.

New regional committees, chaired by governors or walis and including elected officials, are tasked with drafting development programs.

Regional executing agencies are to be converted into joint-stock companies for management flexibility.

These changes sit alongside, rather than within, the election to the Chamber of Representatives.

Moroccans abroad

How citizens abroad vote in 2026.

No dedicated overseas constituencies were created for 2026.

Proxy voting remains the main mechanism for citizens abroad; the Interior Ministry cites the logistical difficulty of staffing polling stations overseas.

Parties are given new incentives to include candidates of diaspora origin on local and regional lists.

Electronic voting for the diaspora is under discussion but has not been adopted.

Opposition parties and diaspora civil-society groups had called for dedicated overseas seats.

The 2026 calendar

Key dates and how government forms.

Election day is Wednesday, 23 September 2026.

The official campaign runs from 10 September (00:01) to 22 September (24:00), followed by a day of electoral silence before the vote.

The head of government is appointed after the final results, from the party that wins the most seats.

The calendar was set by government decree 2.26.190 in March 2026.