Party Close to King Leads in Morocco’s Election as Young Voters Stay Away

Early results in legislative elections showed the lowest voter turnout in nearly two decades. Economic frustrations have grown as Morocco is set to co-host the 2030 soccer World Cup. Early results from legislative elections in Morocco put a party close to the country’s monarchy in the lead on Thursday. But voter turnout was the lowest in nearly two decades as disillusioned young people stayed away from the polls. The elections, held on Wednesday, were the first since two major crises in Morocco: anti-government Gen Z protests in 2025 and the deadly mass crossing of migrants into Ceuta, an entry point to the European Union on the country’s northern coast, this summer. Twenty-seven parties were competing for 395 seats in the lower house of Parliament, and preliminary results showed that the political status quo appeared to be largely intact. The top three parties, according to the results, are part of the coalition that has governed Morocco since 2021. Morocco is a constitutional monarchy, and the king will appoint a prime minister from the party with the most seats. Because no single party won an outright majority, parties will now work to form a coalition. The election was dominated by frustration with unemployment and poor public services, as well as concern over people leaving Morocco in search of better economic opportunities.

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