Morocco: Digital Engagement Surges, Voter Turnout Declines in 2026 Elections
··2 min read
Morocco's 2026 legislative elections, held on September 23, saw a notable increase in political discussions on social media, while voter turnout decreased to 38.02%, down from 50.35% in 2021. This discrepancy highlights a gap between digital political expression and actual voting participation, according to a recent report by the Digital Public Opinion Observatory.
The study, titled '2026 Legislative Elections: What the Digital Public Opinion Expressed,' analyzed 253,608 posts from July 1 to September 30, 2026. It found that purchasing power, electoral integrity, and national pride were the top concerns among Moroccans on digital platforms. Critical comments and negative discussions dominated, overshadowing direct support for political parties.
The report focused on four political parties: the National Rally of Independents, Authenticity and Modernity, the Istiqlal Party, and the Justice and Development Party. It analyzed posts and interactions on Facebook, Instagram, and X, along with digital press content. The study compared digital discussion trends with voting behavior, noting that a single post could appear in multiple party groups if it mentioned several parties.
The National Rally of Independents had the most associated posts, with 90,424, followed by Authenticity and Modernity with 68,411, the Istiqlal Party with 63,5, and the Justice and Development Party with 31,768. However, the Justice and Development Party had the highest interaction rate, at 0.79% compared to its estimated reach, while Authenticity and Modernity had 0.39%, the Istiqlal Party 0.33%, and the National Rally of Independents 0.30%.
The report also noted variations in the evolution of party-related discussions during the official campaign period. The daily rate of posts related to the Justice and Development Party increased by 5.5 times compared to July, while the Istiqlal Party saw an almost twofold increase, the National Rally of Independents a 1.5-fold increase, and Authenticity and Modernity a 1.4-fold increase. This reflects differences in digital presence and the ability of circulating content to spark engagement.
Regarding the most prominent issues, the study concluded that purchasing power was the most salient topic, followed by electoral integrity and national pride.
