Zambia Elections 2026: Vote counting resumes after security threat halt

Zambia's electoral commission has resumed the counting of votes from Thursday's presidential, parliamentary and local elections after halting the process nationwide over alleged attacks on polling staff and the reported theft of marked ballot papers.

The Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) suspended the tallying process after receiving reports of violence that had "resulted in the theft of marked ballot papers in ballot boxes".

In its Friday evening update, the commission said the security situation had improved following consultations with law enforcement agencies, allowing the electoral process to continue.

The commission said it had reviewed the situation and determined that "the security threat to the electoral process has been contained and the necessary measures have been put in place to enable the process to continue".

The ECZ has set a target of announcing the presidential election results by the end of Sunday.

Counting had initially begun immediately after polling stations closed on Thursday, but no official presidential results had been announced when the process was suspended.

Main opposition candidate Brian Mundubile had earlier expressed "grave concern" over the delay in announcing presidential results, warning that the situation could create opportunities for interference or manipulation.

Mundubile cited what he described as "deeply troubling reports" from several parts of the country, including alleged military involvement at tallying centres and concerns over the movement of ballot boxes.

He called for the immediate publication of results on a polling-station-by-polling-station basis, protection of the chain of custody of ballot materials and investigations into the reported incidents.

Mundubile also said his party's own tabulation showed that he had won the election.

President Hakainde Hichilema, who is seeking a second five-year term, urged Zambians to remain calm as the country waits for the official outcome.

Hichilema called on citizens to "remain peaceful, patient and patriotic as we await the official outcome from those entrusted with managing the vote".

Under Zambia's electoral system, a presidential candidate must secure more than 50 per cent of the vote to win outright. If no candidate reaches the required threshold, a run-off election must be held within 37 days.

The resumption of vote counting now puts the ECZ under pressure to complete the tallying process transparently and deliver the results within its Sunday target.