Officers from the Zanzibar security forces queue to cast their early votes at Tumekuja Secondary School polling station in Kikwajuni Constituency, Urban West Region.
Unguja. Early voting in Zanzibar’s 2025 General Election officially kicked off today, Tuesday, October 28, marking the beginning of the voting process ahead of the main election day on Wednesday, October 29.
The exercise allows election officials, security personnel, and other staff directly involved in managing the polls to cast their ballots in advance, in line with Election Act No. 4 of 2018, which aims to ensure smooth operations on polling day.
According to the Zanzibar Electoral Commission (ZEC), a total of 717,557 voters are registered to participate in this year’s elections—378,334 women (53 percent) and 339,223 men (47 percent).
ZEC Director of Elections Thabit Idarous Faina said nearly half of the registered voters are young people.
“Out of the total number, 326,304 voters (45 percent) are aged between 18 and 35, 300,986 (42 percent) are between 36 and 59, while 90,267 (13 percent) are aged 60 and above,” he said.
Early voting centres
Mr Faina said ZEC has set up one early voting centre in each of Zanzibar’s 50 constituencies—32 in Unguja and 18 in Pemba. Within those areas, there are 407 polling stations covering all 388 shehias (wards) and a few additional ones.
For the main election on October 29, 1,752 polling stations will be operational—1,294 in Unguja and 458 in Pemba.
Campaign trail concludes
The early voting follows the official close of campaigns on Monday, October 27, ending a 46-day campaign period that began on September 11. The Zanzibar Electoral Commission said the break between the end of campaigns and the main election is meant to give room for logistical preparations.
A total of 18 political parties are contesting the elections, fielding candidates for parliamentary, House of Representatives, and councillorship seats. However, only 11 parties have presidential candidates cleared by ZEC to vie for the Isles’ top office.
The presidential race is widely viewed as a two-horse contest between Dr Hussein Mwinyi of the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), who is seeking re-election, and Othman Masoud Othman (OMO) of ACT-Wazalendo, who also serves as the First Vice President.
Other presidential candidates in the race include Said Soud Said of the Alliance for African Farmers Party (AAFP), Hussein Juma Salim of the Tanzania Labour Party (TLP), and Khamis Faki Mgau representing the National Reconstruction Alliance (NRA). Also contesting are Laila Rajab Khamis of the National Convention for Construction and Reform (NCCR-Mageuzi), Juma Ali Khatib of ADA-TADEA, Ameir Hassan Ameir of the Democratic Party of Makini, Hamad Rashid Mohamed of the Alliance for Democratic Change (ADC), and Hamad Mohammed Ibrahim of the United People’s Democratic Party (UPDP).
Five other parties failed to submit their nomination forms, while one—the Civic United Front (CUF)—was disqualified after its candidate failed to meet key requirements, including endorsement forms from all five regions.
Focus on peaceful, issue-based campaigns
Throughout the six-week campaign period, candidates traversed the Isles outlining their manifestos and pledging to address key social and economic challenges, including youth unemployment, rising living costs, and service delivery.
Political parties and observers have described the campaigns as largely peaceful and focused on issues.
Zanzibar, which has 50 constituencies and 110 wards, will elect the President, Members of Parliament, Members of the House of Representatives, and Councillors.
ZEC and security agencies have repeatedly assured the public of peaceful, transparent, and credible elections, urging voters to turn out in large numbers to exercise their democratic right.
