Rwandan citizens across the country participated in the election by casting their votes at over 2,600 polling stations. The voting process began at 7 a.m. and is set to end at 3 p.m. It is estimated that around 9.5 million eligible voters will take part in the election, as reported by the National Election Commission (NEC).
On Sunday, Rwandans residing abroad cast their votes in 140 polling sites across 70 countries worldwide, according to the NEC.
Three presidential candidates are vying for the presidency — incumbent President Paul Kagame of the ruling Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF), Frank Habineza of the opposition Democratic Green Party of Rwanda, and Philippe Mpayimana, an independent candidate.
There are 589 candidates for the 80 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the bicameral national legislature of Rwanda, including representatives from political parties, special groups (youth, women, and people with disabilities), and one independent candidate, according to the NEC.
More than 100,000 Rwandans volunteered as polling staff, and over 1,100 local and foreign observers have been accredited for the elections, according to the NEC.
The foreign observers represent various regional and international organizations, including the African Union, European Union, East African Community (EAC), Commonwealth, International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), and Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).