On Wednesday morning, October 29, 2025, Tanzanians went to the polls to elect their next president. Over 37 million registered voters, including roughly 200,000 Tanzanians living abroad, are eligible to vote. Polling stations opened at 7:00 a.m. and are scheduled to close at 6:00 p.m., with final results expected within 72 hours after voting ends.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan is seeking re-election against 16 other candidates, including Kunje Ngombale of the AAFP, Hassan Almas of the NRA, Coaster Kibonde of Chama Cha Makini, and Doyo Hassan Doyo of the NLD, along with several other opposition contenders.
Representing the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party, President Suluhu is widely considered the favorite, particularly as prominent opposition leaders, including Tundu Lissu of CHADEMA, remain in detention.
The National Electoral Commission (NEC) of Tanzania reported that all preparations were successfully completed and that voting was proceeding peacefully. Observers from the East African Community (EAC), including Kizito Habimana, Vice Chairperson of the National Electoral Commission of Rwanda, are monitoring the election.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, aged 65, became Tanzania’s first female president in 2021 following the sudden death of Dr. John Pombe Magufuli, who had just begun his second term in office.
