Morocco raises public funding for 2026 election campaigns to MAD 450 million

Morocco will allocate MAD 450 million ($45 million) in public funding for the 2026 legislative election campaigns, nearly tripling the amount provided for the 2021 parliamentary elections as the country prepares for its next electoral cycle.

The funding package was approved through a government decision signed on June 4, 2026, and later published in the Official Gazette. Under the measure, MAD 400 million will be distributed among political parties contesting the Sept. 23 legislative elections, while an additional MAD 50 million has been earmarked for electoral lists composed of candidates aged 35 and under.

The increase represents a rise of MAD 290 million, or approximately 181%, compared with the MAD 160 million allocated to campaign support for the 2021 House of Representatives elections.

The move comes as Morocco prepares for a new round of parliamentary elections under a legal framework governing the financing of political parties and electoral campaigns. The decision also follows a decree adopted in April 2026 establishing mechanisms to support the participation of younger candidates in the political process.

By comparison, public funding for the 2021 electoral cycle exceeded MAD 356 million across legislative, regional and local elections. Of that amount, roughly MAD 158 million was directed toward House of Representatives campaigns, while around MAD 19 million supported elections to the House of Councillors, benefiting both political parties and trade union organizations.

The new allocation significantly increases state support for parliamentary election campaigns and reflects the government’s stated objective of encouraging broader political participation, particularly among younger Moroccans.

Authorities said the dedicated MAD 50 million fund for candidates under the age of 35 forms part of broader efforts to strengthen youth representation in elected institutions.

Under Moroccan law, political parties and candidates receiving public funding are required to submit detailed accounts of their campaign expenditures to oversight bodies, including the Court of Accounts and regional courts of accounts.

According to previous reports from the Court of Accounts, the vast majority of candidates complied with campaign finance reporting requirements during the 2021 elections. Candidates who failed to meet reporting deadlines were granted additional time to submit the necessary documentation.

The court also reported that political parties and candidates declared nearly MAD 500 million in total campaign resources during the 2021 electoral cycle, including both public and private funding sources.

While auditors found that most campaign accounts were broadly consistent with legal requirements, the Court of Accounts recommended stronger mechanisms to recover unused or unjustified public funds and called for stricter enforcement measures against political parties that fail to reimburse money owed to the state.

The sharp increase in campaign financing highlights the growing financial scale of Morocco’s electoral process as political parties begin preparations for the 2026 legislative elections.