A woman votes at a polling station at Wadzavnayi Farewell Hall B in Mashonaland Central during the 2018 National Elections on Monday. Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI
A woman is marked in order to cast her vote at a polling station at the Magoba Farm in Mashonaland Central during the 2018 National Elections on Monday. Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI
A Zimbabwe Election Commission official checks ID's at a polling station in the Shamva Community Center in Mashonaland East during the 2018 National Elections on Monday. Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI
Election inspectors at a polling station at the Shamva Mine Primary School in Mashonaland East during the 2018 National Elections on Monday. Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI
Voters wait in line at a polling station at the Shamva Mine Primary School in Mashonaland East during the 2018 National Elections on Monday. Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI
Voters wait in line at a polling station at the Shamva Mine Primary School in Mashonaland East during the 2018 National Elections on Monday. Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI
Voters stand in line at a polling station at the Magoba Farm in Mashonaland Central during the 2018 National Elections on Monday. Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI
Voters stand in line at a polling station at the Magoba Farm in Mashonaland Central during the 2018 National Elections on Monday. Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI
Zimbabweans wait in line at a polling station in the Shamva Community Center in Mashonaland East during the 2018 National Elections on Monday. Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI
Voters stand in line at a polling station at the Magoba Farm in Mashonaland Central during the 2018 National Elections on Monday. Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI
Zimbabweans have their Id's checked in order to cast their votes at a polling station in the Shamva Community Center in Mashonaland East during the 2018 National Elections on Monday. Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI
Zimbabweans wait in line at a polling station in the Shamva Community Center in Mashonaland East during the 2018 National Elections on Monday. Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI
A woman has her ID checked in order to cast her vote at a polling station at the Magoba Farm in Mashonaland Central during the 2018 National Elections on Monday. Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI
Voters stand in line at a polling station at the Magoba Farm in Mashonaland Central during the 2018 National Elections on Monday. Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI
Voters have their ID checked at a polling station at the Shamva Mine Primary School in Mashonaland East during the 2018 National Elections on Monday. Photo by Jemal Countess/UPI
July 30 (UPI) -- Long lines formed at Zimbabwe polling stations on Monday as the first presidential election not involving former leader Robert Mugabe began.
Mugabe led the country from its 1980 independence until his ouster in November. Polls give incumbent Emmerson Mnangagwa of the Zulu-PF party a slight lead over the MDC Alliance candidate Nelson Chamisa. Both are running for the presidency for the first time, as are 21 lesser-known candidates, including four women.
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More than five million people are registered to vote at nearly 11,000 polling stations, half under age 35.
Foreign observers say the election is an opportunity for Zimbabwe to separate itself from its violent and repressive history.
"This country is enjoying democratic space which has never been experienced before," Mnangagwa said after casting his vote.
A Twitter message by Chamisa noted delays as long lines of people waited to vote in the capital, Harare.
A runoff election is scheduled for Sept. 8 if no candidate receives more than 50 percent of the vote. Parliamentary and local races are also on the ballot.
Mnangagwa, 75, has promised jobs and is regarded as being open to economic reform. Chamisa, 40, has promised to rebuild Zimbabwe's economy but has also made extravagant pledges, such as bullet trains and a bid to host the Olympic Games.