LIVE: Polls close in Guinea’s post coup election, vote counting underway

LIVE UPDATES

This concludes our live coverage of Guinea’s 2025 general election, with the vote widely expected to cement the rule of Mamady Doumbouya. Follow Global South World for continued updates as Guinea moves into the next phase of the process.

19:22 GMT: Polls close in Guinea’s presidential election as vote counting begins

18:45 GMT: Polling stations' closing extended by one hour

18:00 GMT: Voting day ends in England

17:00 GMT: Voting is expected to end at 18:00 GMT. As of now, polling stations remain open, with long queues still forming.

14:59 GMT: There are more than 200 observers on the ground and its experts in its situation room

13:30 GMT: Guinean security forces report they have neutralized an armed group posing a "threat to national security" on the outskirts of Conakry

1:21 GMT: Military coup leader and candidate Mamadi Doumbouya votes in Boulbinet accompanied by his wife

12:16 GMT: High turnout in the polling stations

11:41 GMT: The ambassador of Guinée in Angola, H.E. Dienabou Saifond Diallo, accompanied by Sékou Kaba and Lansana Camara votes in Luanda.

10:27 GMT: Presidential Candidate Faya Millimouno casts his vote

9:45 GMT: Reports of an alleged coup following a shooting in the conakry suburbs spread on social media

9:35 GMT: Monitor the election in real time

8:45 GMT: Voting underway

8:25 GMT: Electoral observers monitor elections underway

7:58 GMT: Voters are beginning to head to the polling stations

7:13 GMT: Polling stations open

7:05 GMT: Guinea has shut its borders

Polling stations across the country are expected to open at 7:00 GMT and close at 18:00 GMT

Guinea’s 2025 presidential election is the first since a military coup in September 2021, when General Mamady Doumbouya ousted then-President Alpha Condé amid political unrest and protests. That coup abruptly halted a decade-long experiment with electoral democracy that began with Guinea’s first broadly accepted free election in 2010.

A new constitution lays the groundwork

A constitutional referendum on September 21, 2025 reshaped Guinea’s political system in advance of the election. Approved by nearly 90 % of voters, the new constitution:

• Removes barriers preventing members of the military junta from running for president;
• Extends the presidential term from five to seven years;
• Creates a new Senate, with one-third of seats appointed by the president.

This constitution effectively opened the door for Doumbouya to run, a reversal of earlier transitional pledges that had barred junta leaders from seeking office.

The lead candidate: General Mamady Doumbouya

General Mamady Doumbouya, a former special forces commander who led the 2021 coup, is the clear frontrunner. He initially pledged not to contest elections following the coup, but reversed that pledge after the new constitution removed restrictions on junta members running for office.

Doumbouya’s supporters highlight infrastructure work, mining sector reforms, including the long-delayed Simandou iron ore project, and relative stability compared to some neighbours, as reasons for backing his leadership.

Competition and the opposition field

Although multiple candidates are on the ballot, none represent the country’s main opposition leadership. Many big-name figures are either banned from running due to residency or party suspension or remain in exile.

This fragmented field has reinforced expectations that Doumbouya will secure a commanding victory, even as international and regional observers call for a credible, inclusive process.

What’s at stake

• Democratic legitimacy: Whether the election is seen as competitive and credible will shape Guinea’s standing in the region.
• Economic prospects: Guinea’s vast mineral wealth, particularly in bauxite and iron ore, means leadership outcomes will impact external investment and national development.

Election framework

Polling stations across the country will open at 7:00AM GMT and close at 6:00PM GMT on Sunday, December 28, 2025 for registered voters to cast their ballots. There are over 24,000 polling stations nationwide for this vote.

The president is elected using an absolute majority system: if no candidate gets more than 50 % of the vote in the first round, a runoff between the top two contenders will be held later.

How the Results Will Be Announced

Provisional results are expected to be published quickly after polling:

• Partial results could start coming out within about 48 hours of voting closing.
• Under the electoral code, full provisional results could be announced within up to 72 hours after the arrival of all voting station reports, though authorities aim for a faster turnaround.

Observers and Process

Regional and international observer missions from ECOWAS, the African Union, the United Nations, and other organisations are deployed to monitor voting and reporting

Who is eligible and how many voters?

Approximately 6.7 million registered voters are expected to participate on election day. The president is elected by absolute majority; if no candidate secures over 50 % of the vote, a runoff will be held between the top two contenders.

In September 2021, General Mamady Doumbouya led a military coup that ousted then-President Alpha Condé, ending a decade of increasingly contested democratic governance.

• Ahead of this election, Guinea adopted a new constitution that extended the presidential term from five to seven years, created a Senate, and removed restrictions preventing members of the military regime from running for office.
• Critics argue that major opposition figures have been barred, exiled, or sidelined, narrowing the field and raising questions about the competitiveness of the election.

When and how the election was announced

The presidential election in Guinea is scheduled for Sunday, December 28, 2025. The date was officially set by government decree on September 27, 2025, following the adoption of a new constitution that reset the political calendar after the 2021 coup.

Guineans will vote in 24,000-plus polling stations nationwide. Results are expected to begin coming in within 48 to 72 hours after polls close.

The world's largest exporter of bauxite

Guinea’s election is set against the backdrop of one of the richest natural resource endowments in Africa, a factor that deeply influences politics, economics, and investor interest.

Guinea holds some of the largest bauxite reserves in the world — roughly 7.4 billion tonnes, accounting for about two-thirds of global reserves and making Guinea a major supplier of the ore used to make aluminium.