- Voters in Senegal are casting ballots to elect their next president among a crowded field of 17 candidates.
- The delayed polls take place following a period of uncertainty after President Macky Sall’s unsuccessful effort to delay the election.
- There are no clear frontrunners, but former Prime Minister Amadou Ba from the ruling Benno Bokk Yaakaar coalition and Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who is running in place of disqualified opposition figure Ousmane Sonko, are among those seen as the leading contenders.
- A candidate will have to win more than 50 percent of the vote to secure a win in the first round.
- Polls close on Sunday at 18:00 GMT.
‘You sense the seriousness of this event’
Reporting from a polling station in Senegal’s capital Dakar
Polling stations have been opened … and we are seeing growing numbers of people who have come out to vote.
A lot of people have woken up early this morning; this is the holy month of Ramadan, they have been fasting, and the holy month of Lent.
Quite a solemn atmosphere, not a lot of people talking to each other, you sense the seriousness of this event because of this delayed election.
We spoke to a first time voter earlier on who felt like their vote had been robbed when the decision came out to cancel these elections.
You can certainly anticipate that there is going to be quite a high turnout to this election. So much is at stake for so many Senegalese.
This is the end of 12 years of President Macky Sall’s mandate, so there is a lot of hope that this vote will bring change … Really a solemn moment for the Senegalese people to finally have a say in how this country is run.
