By MakanDay Team
Voting in Zambia’s 2026 general election has presented contrasting scenes at polling stations monitored by MakanDay’s network of reporters, with long queues in some parts of the country, relatively few voters at others, and delays in the start of voting at some stations.
Field reports and photographs from Northern, Luapula, Eastern, Copperbelt, Central, North-Western and Southern provinces show that the experience of voters varied considerably during the morning.
Some voters were in queues several hours before the scheduled 06:00 opening, while elsewhere voters who arrived early were still waiting to cast their ballots several hours later.
Northern Province
Driver loses direction, delays voting in Kasama
One of the most significant delays reported by the MakanDay team was at a polling station in Ndoloka Ward in Kasama, where voters were still waiting for voting to begin at about 10:00.
Photographs from the area showed voters gathered under trees as they waited for the polling station to open.
Kasama district electoral officer John Mwanza attributed the delay to the driver transporting election materials losing his way.
Mwanza said the driver had subsequently found his way and was heading to the polling station.
It was not immediately established when the election materials eventually arrived or when voting began.
Elsewhere in Kasama North Constituency, a different picture emerged at Misambo and Chafwa polling stations in Ituna Ward, where turnout was reported to be low during the morning.
Luapula Province
Kawambwa voters queue from 03:00
Large numbers of voters were reported at polling stations in Kawambwa district, with some arriving several hours before voting was due to start.
In Pambashe Constituency, some voters were already queuing at Mushota Primary School by 03:00, according to a field report.
Returning Officer Derrick Kapesa opened the Mushota Primary School polling station at 06:00, with a crowd already waiting to vote.
Among those in the queues were elderly people, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, young people and first-time voters.
Long queues were also reported at Chibanyana polling station, where some voters arrived carrying their own pens as they prepared to cast their ballots.
Voting at the polling stations monitored in Kawambwa was reported to be proceeding smoothly.
Eastern Province
High turnout reported in Chama Central
In Chama Central, turnout was reported to be high during the morning, adding to the contrasting picture emerging from polling stations across the country.
In Chipangali, voting was also underway, with a voter photographed casting a ballot at an Electoral Commission of Zambia voting booth.
No difficulties with the voting process had been reported to MakanDay from the Chipangali location at the time of the update.
Copperbelt Province
Low morning turnout reported in Luanshya and Roan
On the Copperbelt, the field reporter described morning turnout in Luanshya Constituency and Roan as low.
In Masaiti Constituency, voting at Council Chamber 1 and Council Chamber 2 polling stations started at 06:00 and 06:13 respectively, according to a field report.
Central Province
Long queues at Kapiri Mposhi
Substantial numbers of voters were observed at a polling centre in Kapiri Mposhi.
Photographs from Kapiri Mposhi Primary School showed a long, orderly queue outside polling rooms, while other voters gathered around the school grounds.
The images provide evidence of substantial voter presence at the polling centre at the time they were taken, although this alone cannot be used to determine overall turnout in Kapiri Mposhi.
North Western Province
Five queues at Kimasala
Large numbers of voters were reported at Kimasala Ward polling station in Solwezi North, which opened at exactly 06:00.
Five queues had formed at the polling station, with women and young people reported to have turned up in large numbers.
At Kyawama polling station, also in Solwezi, sizeable numbers of voters, including women and young people, were reported during the morning. Photographs showed large crowds around the polling area.
Kyawama has particular significance following violence associated with the 2021 general election. Jackson Kungo, who was then the Patriotic Front’s North-Western Province chairperson, was killed near Kyawama polling station during the 2021 election period.
The peaceful scenes reported at Kyawama on Thursday provided a notable contrast with events five years ago.
Elsewhere in North-Western Province, His Royal Highness Chief Mumena XI (Dr Jonathan Eshiloni), traditional leader of the Kaonde people in Kalumbila, cast his ballot at Mumena Polling Station.
Southern Province
Voters wait for hours in Livingstone
In Maramba Constituency in Livingstone, a voter complained of a lengthy delay in the start of voting, saying some voters had arrived at about 04:00 but had still not cast their ballots by 09:10.
“The polling station was supposed to open at 06:00. The presiding officer was supposed to be here before 06:00 to make sure the polling station was in order,” the voter said. “But by this hour, 09:10, we haven’t voted. We came here around 04:00.”
The voter attributed the delay to preparations at the polling station starting late.
MakanDay had not immediately established from electoral officials what caused the delay or the exact time voting eventually began.
In Mazabuka, Nakambala Training School 01 polling station opened at 06:00. The polling station has over 950 registered voters, and the situation there was reported to be calm.
Contrasting picture from polling stations
The reports gathered by MakanDay show a sharply contrasting picture during the first hours of voting.
In Kawambwa, voters were queuing as early as 03:00, while Kimasala in Solwezi had five queues and photographs from Kapiri Mposhi showed substantial numbers of voters.
At the other end of the spectrum, low morning turnout was reported at Misambo and Chafwa in Kasama North and in Luanshya and Roan on the Copperbelt.
There were also contrasting experiences with opening times. Several polling stations were reported to have opened at or close to the scheduled 06:00 start, while voters in Ndoloka Ward in Kasama and Maramba Constituency in Livingstone faced significant delays.
Low turnout reported at Nalwei
In Nalikwanda Constituency, Western Province, low voter turnout was reported at Nalwei Primary School during the late morning.
The polling station has 1,127 registered voters, with women reported to constitute the majority of those registered.
At 11:05, MakanDay’s reporter at the station observed relatively few voters compared with the number registered, although people were continuing to arrive.
Some voters interviewed at the polling station said low turnout had also characterised previous general elections in the area, but MakanDay had not independently verified that assessment against official historical turnout figures.
EDITORIAL NOTE: These observations reflect conditions at specific polling stations at particular times and should not be interpreted as representative of overall voter turnout nationally, provincially or across entire constituencies.
Journalists who are part of the MakanDay network across Zambia continue to monitor voting, turnout, polling-station operations and other developments as the election progresses.
Contributors: Vincent Phiri (Eastern Province), Malacki Ndhlovu (Chama, Eastern Province), Esther Nkhoma (Chipata – Eastern Province), Joseph Kapandula (Itezhi-Tezhi, Southern Province), Kebby Sianjame (Kalomo, Southern Province), Marvis Muchiya (Mazabuka, Southern Province), Edna Mupila (Livingstone, Southern Province), Sikuka Situmbeko (Mongu, Western Province), Pride Nyirenda (Luanshya, Copperbelt Province), James Mwape (Ndola, Copperbelt Province), Beverly Subeti (Chingola, Copperbelt Province), Peter Masongo (Kitwe, Copperbelt Province), Bertha Kachasa (Kasama, Northern Province), Christian Kasonde (Kasama, Northern Province), Gift Sanjimba (Solwezi, North-Western Province), Hegar Chola (Mansa, Luapula Province), Precious Mwambula (Kapiri Mposhi, Central Province), Terence Katiki (North-Western Province), and Sanjimba Kanganja (Solwezi, North-Western Province).
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