The bulk of the preparation had, of course, proceeded under the supervision of the Ministry of the Interior, whose officials are barred from party activity and probably generally disinterested in party politics. Apart from some areas of recurring trouble, like Bani Mellal, where inexperienced officials had been appointed, there is little evidence that local officials intervened in the electoral process. Centrally, however, the administrative problem was more complex and the sheer prestige of office was very likely an unfair advantage. The King decided to remove Ibrahim a week before elections and to institute a non-party Council of Government under his personal direction. Although the monarch had frequently asserted that the elections were to be without party significance, his action was an implicit admission that party identifications were a factor. The new Council was itself inescapably of political meaning, which was most clearly revealed in the absence of any U.N.F.P. members and the presence of several Istiqlal leaders. Since the details of the elections were settled the change of government had no direct effect on the technical aspects of the elections, and may have been more important as an indication of royal displeasure with the U.N.F.P.

Voting preparations began in the fall of 1959, although the actual demarcation and planning for the rural communes was completed in 1958. There were three major administrative tasks: the fixing of electoral districts, the registration of voters and the registration of candidates. Voter registration began in late November 1959 and continued until early January, 1960. The government was most anxious that there be a respectable response. Periodic bulletins of the accomplishment in each province made the registration process into a kind of competition among provincial officials. A goal was fixed, as given in Table 2, and attention focused on its fulfillment. The qualifications to vote were kept very simple. Both men and women of twenty-one years of age could register and vote upon presenting proof of residence and identification. There were liberal provisions for dispensation where documents or records were lacking. The police were disqualified along with certain categories of naturalized citizens, criminals and those punished for Protectorate activities.