President Hakainde Hichilema voted on Thursday afternoon in Zambia’s 2026 General Election and appealed to citizens to turn out in large numbers before polling closes at 18:00.
Accompanied by First Lady Mutinta Hichilema and their sons, the President cast his vote at Kabulonga Boys Secondary School in the capital, Lusaka.
Speaking to reporters afterward, he downplayed the significance of his own ballot and emphasized the collective power of voters.
“My vote by itself is just a drop in the ocean,” he said. “It is the millions of votes cast together that will determine the direction Zambia takes from here.”
For President Hichilema, Thursday’s election is a referendum on the mandate Zambians gave his administration in 2021.
“Five years ago you placed your trust in us,” he said. “Today that responsibility returns to you. The choice for the next five years now lies with the people of Zambia.”
The 2026 polls are pivotal for his government’s agenda. Voters are deciding whether to extend his party’s term to continue economic reforms, debt restructuring, and investments in agriculture, energy and job creation that began after he took office.
Hichilema framed the election not as a personal contest, but as a national decision on policy and priorities. He said the next government will face immediate choices on the cost of living, service delivery, youth employment and governance, and that voter participation will determine how much legitimacy those decisions carry.
“This is not about one person,” he said. “It is about the path we choose as a country.”
The President urged all registered voters who had not yet voted to go to their polling stations with both a green National Registration Card and a voter’s card for verification.
“To those still at home, please make your way to the polling station,” he said. “This is your moment to decide.”
He also asked Zambians to mobilize those around them, those they associate with.
“Talk to your family, your friends, your neighbors. Remind them to vote,” he said.
At the same time, he called for calm. He said differences of opinion are expected in an election, but they must not turn into conflict.
“Encourage each other to participate,” he said. “And respect each other’s choice. That is how democracy works.”
He praised voters seen queuing in Lusaka, on the Copperbelt and in other provinces, saying long lines showed public interest. The patience, he added, reflects faith in the process.
He further urged electoral staff, party agents and security officers to keep the process orderly and to protect the will of the people.
Democracy “renewed with every vote”
Hichilema described voting as the central expression of democracy and said the system is strengthened each time citizens exercise it.
“Democracy grows stronger every time we vote,” he said. “Today it belongs to every Zambian standing in line, waiting to have their say.”
He noted that the outcome will touch communities in all ten provinces, from cities to rural areas. High participation, he argued, is what gives the result credibility.
Zambians are voting for the presidency, parliamentary seats and thousands of local government positions. More than 8 million people are registered.
Polling opened nationwide at 06:00. The Electoral Commission of Zambia said voting will run until 18:00, after which ballots will be counted at each station in front of party agents and observers before results are sent to constituency centers.
Stakes for the next term
The President said the incoming administration will inherit critical decisions.
Key issues include stabilizing the economy, expanding job opportunities for young people, improving health and education services, and maintaining macroeconomic reforms that have been central to his first term.
That, he said, is why broad turnout matters.
“Do not sit this one out,” he told voters. “Come out in large numbers and vote.”
He thanked citizens for the peaceful atmosphere observed so far and said images from polling centers showed maturity.
In closing remarks, he struck a unifying note and offered a prayer for the country as counting approaches.
“May God bless the people of Zambia,” he said. “May God bless our nation.”
By mid-morning, the Electoral Commission reported that materials had arrived on time in most areas and that voting was proceeding without major incident. Party representatives were present at polling centers to monitor the process.
With hours of voting still remaining, political leaders and civil society groups continued to encourage citizens to take part.
For Hichilema, the message was simple: his ballot counts the same as any other, and the future of Zambia will be written by how many people show up to cast theirs.
