2023 Zimbabwean general election

2023 Zimbabwean general election

← 2018 23 August 2023 (2023-08-23) 2028 →
← outgoing members elected members →
Presidential election
Registered	6,623,511 ( 16.29%)
Turnout	68.86% ( 16.24pp)
Candidate Emmerson Mnangagwa Nelson Chamisa Party ZANU–PF CCC Popular vote 2,350,711 1,967,343 Percentage 52.60% 44.03%
President before election Emmerson Mnangagwa ZANU–PF Elected President Emmerson Mnangagwa ZANU–PF
National Assembly
All 280 seats in the National Assembly 141 seats needed for a majority
Party Leader % Seats +/– ZANU–PF Emmerson Mnangagwa 56.18 177 −2 CCC Nelson Chamisa 41.46 103 New This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
Senate
60 of the 80 seats in the Senate 41 seats needed for a majority
Party Leader Seats +/– ZANU–PF Emmerson Mnangagwa 33 −1 CCC Nelson Chamisa 27 New This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
Maps
Presidential election results by constituency House of Assembly election results by constituency Senate election results by province

Politics of Zimbabwe
Constitution Constitutional history Human rights
Government President Emmerson Mnangagwa Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga Kembo Mohadi Cabinet
Legislature Parliament Senate President National Assembly Speaker Constituencies
Judiciary Supreme Court
Elections General 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2008 2013 2018 2023 Referendums 2000 2013 Electoral Commission Political parties
Administrative divisions Provinces Districts Wards
Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Minister: Frederick Shava Diplomatic missions of / in Zimbabwe Passport Visa requirements Visa policy
v t e

General elections were held throughout Zimbabwe on 23 and 24 August 2023 to elect the president, legislators and councillors.^[1] The main race for presidential office was between two candidates of Karanga origin: ZANU–PF's Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa and Citizens Coalition for Change's Nelson Chamisa.

The election was won by president Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa and his governing ZANU–PF party, with observer bodies describing the elections as not being free and fair.^[2][3][4]

The voter rolls for the election increased to 6.5 million, up from 5.8 million in 2018.^[5]

The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission spoke about the delays citing that they would compensate for the delays meaning if the polling station was opened at 11 am, it would close at 11 pm to ensure that there is 12 hours of voting. There were some reports from the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation that about 5 wards in Manicaland people did not manage to vote at all because of logistical difficulties which were faced by the ZEC. About 35 more were delayed, of which 11 of them were in the capital of the country, Harare, which ultimately lead to ZEC declaring 24 August 2023 to be a second voting day, although voting is supposed to take place within one day according to Zimbabwean law.^[6]

Political parties competed for one presidential seat, 1,970 council seats and 280 parliamentary seats, and 60 senate seats to be elected for a five-year term. As per the Constitution of Zimbabwe, the president is to be elected using the two-round system.^[7]

The general population feared possible violence during the election because both sides have a history of political violence. Preelectoral polls suggested a runoff was likely,^[8][9] but Mnangagwa won the first round with a narrow majority.