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Registration on the electoral rolls is open from May 15 to June 13, 2026, ahead of the general election on September 23. But for many Moroccan voters living abroad, the first hurdle in completing the process via the dedicated platform is often the language barrier, as well as technical difficulties. Salem Fkire, founding president of the association Cap Sud MRE, told Yabiladi that he had experienced this himself, in addition to complaints he had received from fellow members of the Moroccan diaspora, which our newsroom has reviewed.
«On the morning of Friday, May 15, at 9:30 a.m., I tried to register online myself. The first problem was the transcription I had to do in Arabic, a language I cannot read,» he told us. «Yet it is a mandatory field. You have to open a small Arabic keyboard on the portal, and for anyone who cannot decipher it, the process stops there,» Salem Fkire said.
The association leader said that over the following weekend, several users, including himself, «tried to find other solutions, using Google Chrome or asking someone with a latest-generation smartphone.» «Automatic translation works in that case, but it still does not complete the registration. I had to try five times before I finally managed to do it,» he told us.
A difficult registration process at consulates
Voters living outside Morocco can register through the portal or at Moroccan embassies and consulates in their country of residence. But according to Salem Fkire, the problem is not limited to the digital platform. «Contrary to what is stated on the website, there are not really any specific options at consulates, such as in Villemomble and Mantes-la-Jolie, where I went. An online appointment is required for this, except that on the consular platform, you cannot select that reason,» the association leader told us.
He said he had reported these difficulties in particular «to officials from two political parties in Morocco, the PPS and the PJD, so they could inform the Interior Ministry.» For now, according to Salem Fkire, the ministry has not yet responded. «This is a very important issue, especially since the electoral base among Moroccans living abroad is significant. There are 250,000 MREs on the national territory, and it is important that all those eligible be able to register,» he added.
Having observed that these problems were not isolated cases, Salem Fkire and other Moroccan diaspora volunteers shared their experiences and the information they were able to access online. «With Franco-Moroccan influencer Nadia Goodvibes, we held live sessions to explain the importance of registering on the electoral rolls. We realized that many people knew nothing about this option, which gives them access to participation in the electoral process,» the association leader told us.
Sharing information online
Contacted by Yabiladi, Nadia Goodvibes confirmed that «most people who try to register on the electoral rolls are unable to do so, because of the language barrier or even technical problems when entering certain information.» «The procedure would have been simpler if, for example, it had only involved scanning an identity document and entering a unique code. We also asked consular staff at two consulates, but we were not able to get any assistance,» she said.
In this context, the internet personality took the initiative to «inform people through [her] social media.» «I now live in Morocco. As a citizen, I therefore want to take part in the life of my country. I create content to raise awareness about the importance of registering on the electoral rolls. I share the official link for that purpose, but I also see the challenge this poses for many people. A tutorial could make the process easier for everyone,» she said.
In keeping with his focus on the participation of Moroccans living abroad, Salem Fkire also said he is promoting «10 programmatic points» that the PPS has incorporated into its political platform, «worth 5 billion dirhams.» «This is not a bilateral agreement, but a set of measures to facilitate the contribution of MREs, particularly through temporary vehicle admission, a demand first made by Cap Sud MRE in 2012, the expansion of Tamwilcom MRE G3, and the creation of an anti-expropriation shield,» he said, adding that he is «meeting with other political parties» on the issue.
