13/08/2026
People in Zambia are casting their votes today, August 13, 2026, to elect a president, members of the 280-seat National Assembly, councilors and council chairs. Voting began at 6am and will run until 6pm. This is the first election under new constituency boundaries.
Incumbent President Hakainde Hichilema of the UPND is seeking a second term. His main challenger is Brian Mundubile of the Tonse Alliance/NRPUP. The Electoral Commission of Zambia cleared 14 presidential candidates in total for this race.
About 8.78 million Zambians are registered to vote. According to ECZ, women make up 53.1% of the register, and voters aged 18-34 account for 46.3%. Analysts expect a high turnout, with some projections above 82%.
The key issues for voters include the cost of living, job creation, public services, and benefits from the mining sector. For investors, the focus is on whether a new IMF program will follow the previous $1.7-billion program that supported debt restructuring.
Polls currently place President Hichilema above the 50%+1 threshold needed to win in the first round, but the contest is expected to be competitive due to a fragmented opposition.
Ahead of the vote, Zambia’s judiciary also completed training with support from the Commonwealth to ensure any election disputes are handled fairly, independently, and within constitutional timelines. Zambia has maintained a strong record of peaceful transfers of power since 1991.
