Election information

Elections

Explore verified election schedules, offices, formal candidate listings, and published results. A candidate profile is not treated as a formal nomination until it is linked to a verified election record.

Public election records

Election record overview

These counts include only active, published election records. Draft schedules and unapproved results remain private.

Zambia’s electoral journey

From Kenneth Kaunda to today

A source-backed timeline across the First Republic, the Second Republic one-party period, and the Third Republic multiparty era. Historical context is descriptive and does not rank leaders or political systems.

Exact days appear only where an official source confirms them. Older records with year-only evidence are labelled clearly instead of being assigned an estimated date.
  1. 1964 First Republic

    General Election

    1964 Pre-Independence General Election

    Jan 28, 1964

    The final Legislative Council election before independence was held under the Self-governing Constitution. UNIP won 55 of the 65 main-roll seats, ANC won the remaining 10 main-roll seats, and NPP won the 10 reserved-roll...

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  2. 1968 First Republic

    General Election

    1968 General Election

    Dec 19, 1968

    This election constituted Zambia’s Second National Assembly during the First Republic, when multiparty politics remained in place.

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  3. 1969 First Republic

    Referendum

    1969 Constitutional Referendum

    Jun 17, 1969

    The referendum asked whether Parliament should be able to amend entrenched constitutional clauses with a two-thirds majority. Parliament’s historical chart records 85 percent voting in favour and 69 percent turnout.

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  4. 1973 Second Republic · one-party period

    General Election

    1973 General Election

    Dec 5, 1973

    The parliamentary election followed the introduction of the one-party participatory system. UNIP won all elected National Assembly seats. This record is presented in its historical constitutional context and is not descr...

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  5. 1978 Second Republic · one-party period

    General Election

    1978 General Election

    1978 — exact date not recorded in the cited official source

    A general election held under Zambia’s Second Republic one-party political system. The ECZ Electoral Reform Technical Committee report confirms the election year; the exact polling date remains unrecorded here pending a...

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  6. 1983 Second Republic · one-party period

    General Election

    1983 General Election

    1983 — exact date not recorded in the cited official source

    A general election held under Zambia’s Second Republic one-party political system. The ECZ Electoral Reform Technical Committee report confirms the election year; the exact polling date remains unrecorded here pending a...

    Read the sourced record
  7. 1988 Second Republic · one-party period

    General Election

    1988 General Election

    1988 — exact date not recorded in the cited official source

    The final general election listed by ECZ under the Second Republic one-party system before Zambia returned to multiparty politics. The exact polling date remains unrecorded here pending a primary official citation.

    Read the sourced record
  8. 1991 Third Republic · multiparty era

    General Election

    1991 General Election

    Oct 31, 1991

    The election marked Zambia’s return to multiparty democracy. MMD won 125 of 150 National Assembly seats and UNIP won 25. Frederick Chiluba succeeded Kenneth Kaunda as President.

    Read the sourced record
  9. 1996 Third Republic · multiparty era

    General Election

    1996 General Election

    Nov 18, 1996

    A multiparty presidential and parliamentary general election. Parliament records MMD winning 131 of 150 elective National Assembly seats, while ECZ publishes the presidential final results.

    Read the sourced record
  10. 2001 Third Republic · multiparty era

    General Election

    2001 General Election

    2001 — exact date not recorded in the cited official source

    A multiparty general election. Parliament records MMD winning 69 National Assembly seats, UPND 49, and UNIP 13, with the remaining seats shared among other parties and an independent. ECZ publishes the presidential final...

    Read the sourced record
  11. 2006 Third Republic · multiparty era

    General Election

    2006 General Election

    Sep 28, 2006

    Tripartite presidential, parliamentary and local-government elections. Parliament records MMD winning 74 National Assembly seats, PF 44, and the UDA alliance 27. ECZ publishes the presidential results.

    Read the sourced record
  12. 2008 Third Republic · multiparty era

    Presidential Election

    2008 Presidential Election

    Oct 30, 2008

    A presidential election held following the death of President Levy Mwanawasa. Rupiah Banda was subsequently sworn in as Zambia’s fourth Republican President.

    Read the sourced record
  13. 2011 Third Republic · multiparty era

    General Election

    2011 General Election

    Sep 20, 2011

    A multiparty general election. Parliament records PF winning 62 National Assembly seats, MMD 54, and UPND 29. Michael Sata was elected Zambia’s fifth Republican President.

    Read the sourced record
  14. 2015 Third Republic · multiparty era

    Presidential Election

    2015 Presidential Election

    Jan 20, 2015

    A presidential election held following the death of President Michael Sata. Edgar Lungu was subsequently sworn in as Zambia’s sixth Republican President.

    Read the sourced record
  15. 2016 Third Republic · multiparty era

    General Election

    2016 General Election

    Aug 11, 2016

    The first general election after the 2016 constitutional amendments introduced the 50-percent-plus-one presidential threshold and a running mate. ECZ records the presidential election date as 11 August 2016.

    Read the sourced record
  16. 2021 Third Republic · multiparty era

    General Election

    2021 General Election

    Aug 12, 2021

    A multiparty general election resulting in a change of government. The ECZ reform report records Hakainde Hichilema receiving 2,852,348 votes, 59.4 percent of valid votes, and Edgar Lungu receiving 1,870,780 votes, 38.3...

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  17. 2026 Third Republic · multiparty era

    General Election

    2026 General Election

    Aug 13, 2026

    Zambia’s scheduled 2026 General Election. This is an upcoming election record; no result or winner is implied.

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History

History elections

17 published records

Aug 13
Completed

General Election

2026 General Election

Zambia’s scheduled 2026 General Election. This is an upcoming election record; no result or winner is implied.

Election date
Aug 13, 2026
Candidates
14 formal
View election details
Aug 12
Archived

General Election

2021 General Election

A multiparty general election resulting in a change of government. The ECZ reform report records Hakainde Hichilema receiving 2,852,348 votes, 59...

Election date
Aug 12, 2021
Candidates
1 formal
View election details
Aug 11
Archived

General Election

2016 General Election

The first general election after the 2016 constitutional amendments introduced the 50-percent-plus-one presidential threshold and a running mate....

Election date
Aug 11, 2016
Candidates
0 formal
View election details
Jan 20
Archived

Presidential Election

2015 Presidential Election

A presidential election held following the death of President Michael Sata. Edgar Lungu was subsequently sworn in as Zambia’s sixth Republican Pr...

Election date
Jan 20, 2015
Candidates
0 formal
View election details
Sep 20
Archived

General Election

2011 General Election

A multiparty general election. Parliament records PF winning 62 National Assembly seats, MMD 54, and UPND 29. Michael Sata was elected Zambia’s f...

Election date
Sep 20, 2011
Candidates
0 formal
View election details
Oct 30
Archived

Presidential Election

2008 Presidential Election

A presidential election held following the death of President Levy Mwanawasa. Rupiah Banda was subsequently sworn in as Zambia’s fourth Republica...

Election date
Oct 30, 2008
Candidates
0 formal
View election details
Sep 28
Archived

General Election

2006 General Election

Tripartite presidential, parliamentary and local-government elections. Parliament records MMD winning 74 National Assembly seats, PF 44, and the...

Election date
Sep 28, 2006
Candidates
0 formal
View election details
Year 2001
Archived

General Election

2001 General Election

A multiparty general election. Parliament records MMD winning 69 National Assembly seats, UPND 49, and UNIP 13, with the remaining seats shared a...

Election date
2001 — exact date not recorded in the cited official source
Candidates
0 formal
View election details
Nov 18
Archived

General Election

1996 General Election

A multiparty presidential and parliamentary general election. Parliament records MMD winning 131 of 150 elective National Assembly seats, while E...

Election date
Nov 18, 1996
Candidates
0 formal
View election details
Oct 31
Archived

General Election

1991 General Election

The election marked Zambia’s return to multiparty democracy. MMD won 125 of 150 National Assembly seats and UNIP won 25. Frederick Chiluba succee...

Election date
Oct 31, 1991
Candidates
0 formal
View election details
Year 1988
Archived

General Election

1988 General Election

The final general election listed by ECZ under the Second Republic one-party system before Zambia returned to multiparty politics. The exact poll...

Election date
1988 — exact date not recorded in the cited official source
Candidates
0 formal
View election details
Year 1983
Archived

General Election

1983 General Election

A general election held under Zambia’s Second Republic one-party political system. The ECZ Electoral Reform Technical Committee report confirms t...

Election date
1983 — exact date not recorded in the cited official source
Candidates
0 formal
View election details

Trust workflow

How election information is published

Dates, candidacies, and results are separated so the platform never implies an unverified nomination or winner.

  1. 01

    Election verified

    The election type, official date, status, and public source are reviewed.

  2. 02

    Candidacies linked

    Candidates are connected to the correct office, party, and geographic area.

  3. 03

    Results disclosed

    Vote totals and winners appear only after the result workflow is completed.