Saïd Arrous, head of the National Independent Authority for Elections, has dismissed claims of political apathy regarding the upcoming local elections. Presenting official figures, Arrous highlighted a significant rise in candidate numbers compared to 2021; the number of candidates for municipal councils grew by 22.7% to reach 141,388, while provincial council candidates increased by 13.56%. Addressing concerns over candidacy rejection, the official stated that only a tiny fraction of lists were refused (0.05% for municipal and 1.38% for provincial councils) due to missing documents or unmet legal requirements. He further noted that 48.48% of candidates hold university degrees, while young people under 40 account for 54.02% of the total, with women representing 11.86% of the pool.