The Moroccan regime has successfully established its image as a democratic precursor, steadily reconstructed by observers. This positive reputation has been reinforced since the upheavals in the region in 2011, during which the king managed to be perceived as the initiator of democratic change from above. The referendum on the new constitution in July 2011 and the unscheduled elections of November 2011 are discursively framed as a proof of “real” change and interpreted as the main instruments of an enhanced form of citizens’ participation. However, so far most of the studies analyzing these events focus on the national level, concentrate on general developments, or narrate the events from urban or elite perspectives. In recent years, creative scholars have criticized research on politics for focusing on “important” people. Instead, they have introduced methodological and conceptual instruments to analyze politics “from below,” beyond analyses of national actors or institutions, beyond quantitative methods, and beyond qualitative methods which only include interviews with privileged elites. In line with these scholars, this paper provides a critical analysis of the recent Moroccan elections including the referendum on the new constitution, illustrating from a micro-perspective why and how citizens participate in the “game” of elections beyond urban centers. Following Akhil Gupta’s proposal, this paper examines participation in elections on the level where their effects should be most visible: the local, municipal level. I conducted thirty-six interviews in a medium-sized town in the Middle Atlas between October 2010 and November 2011, and used this material as the basis of my arguments. In doing so, I identify a puzzle: holding office in the Parliament or Local Council has marginal formal importance and is therefore theoretically unattractive, but political participation is still highly contested. Bringing Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of capital into play, I will discuss a probable explanation that elects, through their proximity to citizens and to other levels of power, increase their social, economic, and cultural capital. After methodological and conceptual reflections, the first paragraphs provide an overview of relevant literature and an introduction to the town of Midelt, where I conducted the interviews. This initial section is followed by a close account of elections and local politics, as well as a description of the everyday politics that take place inside the town hall. I conclude with the statement that Morocco is no exception to the tumultuous political changes sweeping other parts of the Middle East.