Morocco held parliamentary elections on Wednesday, September 23, with 15.8 million registered voters choosing all 395 seats in the House of Representatives — the country's twelfth parliamentary election since independence. The vote arrives less than a year after a wave of youth-led protests shook the country, and the central question hanging over polling day is whether that anger will translate into engagement or further disillusionment with formal politics.

The demonstrations, which began on September 27, 2025 under the banner of a leaderless online movement called GenZ 212, were sparked by the deaths of eight women following Caesarean deliveries at a public hospital in Agadir, a city in southern Morocco. The unrest spread nationwide, with young people demanding better public healthcare, education, and employment, while criticising corruption and what they saw as misplaced government spending — including an estimated 100 billion euros being channelled into co-hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup. At least three people were killed and around 2,400 arrested during the unrest. Some former protest participants are now running as candidates, with 7,288 candidates from 27 political parties competing for seats. Youth unemployment among those aged 15 to 24 stands at roughly 37 percent, against an overall rate of 13 percent, according to official figures.

Despite making up around 12 percent of Morocco's population, 18-to-24-year-olds account for just four percent of registered voters — a gap that candidates and political analysts say reflects deep distrust rather than indifference. Political scientist Fouad Gandoul warned that turnout below 40 percent would represent a legitimacy crisis, noting that a recent poll suggested only 28 percent of registered voters intended to cast a ballot.