Overview
- Former president Laurent Gbagbo and ex–Credit Suisse chief Tidjane Thiam were barred from the ballot, leaving five lesser-backed contenders to challenge Alassane Ouattara.
- Roughly 8.7 to 9 million people were eligible to vote, polling ran from 08:00 to 18:00 GMT, and provisional results are expected within days with a runoff if no candidate surpasses 50%.
- Authorities deployed about 44,000 security personnel, banned demonstrations, and courts handed three-year sentences to several dozen protesters as hundreds were arrested during the campaign period.
- Turnout appeared uneven, with sparse participation reported in some opposition strongholds and heavier voting in pro-Ouattara areas such as Bouaké.
- Recent tensions included four deaths, an electoral commission office set on fire, night curfews in the Yamoussoukro region, and opposition leaders denouncing the vote as “electoral robbery.”