Malawians are waiting to find out who their next president will be as polls have closed in most parts of the country and counting has started.
Thousands of people queued outside polling stations on Tuesday to vote for a president, MPs and local councillors, keenly hoping to effect change in a country swamped by economic troubles. Some are still voting in areas where polling started late.
In his campaign for a second term, current President Lazarus Chakwera pledged to fix Malawi's economy - as did his main rival, octogenarian former leader Peter Mutharika.
If no candidate wins more than half the votes, the top two contenders will head to a runoff.
There is anger in us. I want to change this government. I want young people to be in good jobs, Ettah Nyasulu, a 28-year-old waitress told the AFP press agency before heading out to vote.
Food costs have been rising at more than 30% in the last year, while wages have not kept pace. The high inflation rate has partly been attributed to a shortage of foreign currency in the banks.
We must scrutinise what is going wrong and change things for the better, noted Rachel Chaguza, a 26-year-old university graduate who sells flowers.
Malawi has also been crippled by nationwide power outages and fuel shortages. President Chakwera, who has promised to tackle this shortage, voted in his local village, accompanied by security. The election is effectively a two-horse race between Chakwera and his rival Mutharika, but with a total of 17 candidates, the competition remains fierce.
Despite logistical issues at some polling stations, voting proceeded largely without incident, with unique provisions made for voters who could not write. The counting of votes began after polls closed at 14:00 GMT, and the electoral commission is expected to announce results within the stipulated timeframe.
