Vote counting underway in Malawi's Presidential election

Vote counting has begun following the closure of polling stations at 14:00 GMT in Malawi's crucial presidential election.

Current President Lazarus Chakwera is seeking a second term, running against former President Peter Mutharika, with both candidates focusing on revitalizing the economy. If no candidate secures more than half of the votes, a runoff may be held.

Approximately 3.7 million votes were cast today, despite some delays at polling stations due to issues with fingerprint readers. The Malawi Electoral Commission has until September 24 to announce presidential results, with parliamentary outcomes expected by September 30.

However, some polling stations experienced delays, primarily due to issues with biometric fingerprint readers, according to Reuters.

Despite the challenges, the electoral commission addressed the situation, acknowledging that there were some "queueing challenges" but noting that these were successfully managed.

Provisions were made for voters unable to write, allowing them to mark their ballots with an inked fingerprint, while others used traditional pens.

Though the election is largely viewed as a two-person race between Chakwera and Mutharika, there are 15 additional candidates, including the country's only female head of state, Joyce Banda, and another former president.