Overview

• Partial official results from 24 of 36 councils give Peter Mutharika roughly 66–68% of valid votes, far ahead of Lazarus Chakwera at about 20–24%, according to MEC releases and major media tallies.
• MEC figures put Mutharika at 2,022,879 votes versus Chakwera’s 729,425, leaving Mutharika fewer than 300,000 additional votes to surpass the 50%+1 threshold for an outright win.
• The Malawi Electoral Commission says it is carefully checking every tally sheet, a cautious approach shaped by the Constitutional Court’s annulment of the 2019 result.
• Former president Bakili Muluzi has urged Chakwera to concede and congratulate Mutharika to preserve stability as unofficial dashboards also show a sizable Mutharika lead.
• Analysts tie the shift in voter sentiment to high inflation, climate-related crop losses, and fuel and food shortages, with turnout reported at 65.1% from 4,689,172 ballots cast.