Morocco 2026 Elections: 7,288 Candidates, 1,850 Lists for 395 Seats
Morocco's Interior Ministry has released final candidacy numbers for the 2026 legislative elections: 7,288 candidates and 1,850 lists competing for 395 seats, with women's representation up sharply.
Morocco's Ministry of Interior has announced the final list of candidates for the House of Representatives elections scheduled for September 23, 2026, after candidate filing closed on the evening of Tuesday, September 9. According to official data, 7,288 candidates are running on 1,850 electoral lists, competing for 395 seats in the lower chamber of parliament, with 28 political parties taking part.
Breakdown of local and regional lists
Most candidacies run through local lists, which total 1,615 lists comprising 5,505 candidates, while 235 regional lists are reserved exclusively for women, fielding 1,783 candidates. The table below details the full breakdown:
| List type | Number of lists | Number of candidates |
|---|---|---|
| Local lists | 1,615 | 5,505 |
| Regional lists (women-only) | 235 | 1,783 |
| Total | 1,850 | 7,288 |
A sharp rise in women's representation
Female candidates number 2,658, or 36.47% of the total, split between 1,783 on the women-only regional lists and 875 on local lists, of whom 121 head local lists. The roster also includes 227 sitting MPs seeking re-election, 204 of them with their original party, 20 who switched parties, and 3 running as independents.
Why this number matters
The rise in local lists, from 1,472 in the 2021 election to 1,615 this year, and in candidates from 5,046 to 5,505, reflects broader party competition ahead of the vote. The official campaign period runs from September 10 to midnight on September 22, 2026, ahead of election day on September 23. This milestone follows the Interior Ministry's announcement that it has accredited more than 3,006 observers to monitor the vote, part of the logistical and legal preparations meant to safeguard the credibility of the electoral process.