Electoral system for the president

Electoral Commission of Zambia, The Electoral Process Act, 2016, accessed 27 July 2021

47. (1) Elections to the office of President shall be conducted directly, under a majoritarian electoral system, where the winning candidate must receive more than fifty percent of the valid votes cast, and in accordance with Article 101. [...]

101. (1) A President shall be elected by registered voters in accordance with Article 47 (1) and this Article.

(2) The Returning Officer shall declare the presidential candidate who receives more than fifty percent of the valid votes cast during the election as President-elect.

(3) If at the initial ballot a presidential candidate does not receive more than fifty percent of the valid votes cast, a second ballot shall be held within thirty-seven days of the initial ballot, where the only candidates shall be the presidential candidates who obtained—

(a) the highest and second highest number of valid votes cast in the initial ballot; or

(b) an equal number of the valid votes cast in the initial ballot, being the highest votes amongst the presidential candidates that stood for election to the office of President.