Civil society monitors have reported mostly orderly voting alongside some incidents of delays and procedural issues. International observers are present.
Mwiche Nalupumbwe, 26, was among hundreds who braved the morning chill to queue at polling stations well before they opened.
“Zambians are frustrated and this election is a 50-50, that is why we are all here early to make the change,” he told the AFP news agency.
“I voted for HH because he cares about us,” James Phiri, a 29-year-old student at the University of Zambia, told the Reuters news agency, using a common nickname for the president.
“Things are better after he re-introduced meal allowances,” he said.
