Voting in the Côte d’Ivoire elections has ended and we await the preliminary results news

This evening, Saturday, October 25, 2025, the polls in Côte d’Ivoire were closed after an election day that was described as relatively calm, despite the political tensions that preceded the process.

More than 8 million registered voters participated in the elections to choose a new president for the country, in an election that is seen as crucial to the future of the West African country, which over the past two decades has witnessed political unrest and repeated civil wars.

The elections, which began at eight in the morning (GMT) and ended at six in the evening, took place amid tight security measures, as the government deployed about 44,000 members of the security forces throughout the country.

Despite the ban on demonstrations, which Amnesty International described as “disproportionate,” scattered protests were recorded in the political capital, Yamoussoukro, and other cities, while the Ministry of the Interior announced the arrest of hundreds during the election campaign, some of whom received prison sentences of up to 3 years on charges related to disturbing public order.

The presidential race is led by current President Alassane Ouattara, who is 83 years old, and who, according to his statements, is running his fourth and final campaign, based on nearly 15 years of economic growth and relative stability.

Ouattara, a former international banker and former Deputy Director General of the International Monetary Fund, took power in 2011 after a bloody civil war that claimed the lives of about 3,000 people, following former President Laurent Gbagbo’s refusal to recognize the election results.

Gbagbo himself was excluded from running this year for legal reasons, along with Tidjane Thiam, the former CEO of Credit Suisse, making the competition between Ouattara and 4 other candidates, most notably former First Lady Simone Ehifet Gbagbo (76 years old), who returned to the political arena with a program focusing on national reconciliation and monetary independence.

The youngest candidate is Jean-Louis Billon, the 60-year-old former trade minister, who failed to gain the support of the main opposition party.

Although Ouattara is betting on his economic legacy, a wide segment of young Ivorians have expressed their dissatisfaction with the continuation of the political elite, demanding real representation and job opportunities.

The average age of Côte d’Ivoire’s population is 18 years, reflecting a clear gap between the political leadership and the young popular base. “We are tired of seeing the elderly making decisions for us,” said one student in Abidjan. “We want someone who understands our problems and gives us real opportunities.”

Preliminary results are expected to be released within 5 days, and if no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes, a runoff will be held between the top two candidates.

International and regional bodies are closely following the elections, with hopes that they will contribute to strengthening political stability and open the door to economic and social reforms that keep pace with the aspirations of the new generation.

Côte d’Ivoire is the largest cocoa producer in the world, and one of the fastest growing economies in Africa. Over the past years, it has witnessed efforts to expand the production base and diversify sources of income, especially in the areas of mining and infrastructure.

However, challenges remain, most notably unemployment, economic disparity, and the lack of political representation for youth and women.