One week before the launch of the electoral roll overhaul, the digitalization of the process is still not in place. While the Independent National Electoral Commission (Ceni) claims to want to improve the quality of the electoral file, data collection will rely essentially on the same methods as in 2022.
“Just because we are using the same method as in previous operations does not mean it is unreliable,” defends Thierry Rakotonarivo, president of the Ceni. According to him, the legal framework has not changed. The main objective is to eliminate duplicates and clean up the electoral file. To do this, agents will mainly use voter information forms. Tablets will be deployed only in certain centers, in limited numbers.
Despite the ambition to reach nearly 14 million registered voters, the material resources and methodology remain practically identical to those used during the 2022 overhaul.
On the ground, five people are mobilized in each census team: one electoral agent and four members of the Local Voter Census Committees (CLRE). They conduct door-to-door visits daily and also register voters at the fokontany level. “For now, no digitalization is planned. During our training, digital tools were not mentioned, whereas in 2022 we used tablets,” explains Vololomboahangy Pepretu, an electoral agent and vice-president of the Analapanga fokontany.
The president of the Ceni points out, however, that progress could come from the biometric enrollment of the national identity card. “Data from the future biometric identity card could be cross-referenced directly with the electoral roll, which will be a real advantage for making the file more reliable,” he asserts.
Beyond technical challenges, the Ceni will also have to face the growing disinterest of a portion of the population. For many citizens, elections no longer produce the expected changes in their daily lives.
“I have always voted and I have always registered on the electoral roll. But this time, I will not vote. It does not bother me not to be registered, because nothing changes, especially if the same leaders or their relatives remain candidates. It is difficult to hope for real change,” confides Gaby Rakotozafy, a resident of the rural commune of Soavina.
The same observation comes from Lalatiana Mandimbiarisoa, a merchant: “I will register if the agents come to me, but I will not go to vote. In fact, I have never voted. I prefer not to waste my time, because I see no improvement: everything remains the same.”
The revision of the electoral roll is carried out every year, while a complete overhaul should, in principle, take place every ten years. In practice, its organization often depends on the political context.
Captured & Published at: 2026-08-05 05:54:01 (Madagascar Local Time EAT)
Original Source: https://www.lexpress.mg/2026/08/elections-la-digitalisation-de-la-liste.html