Zimbabwe votes in historic post-Mugabe elections

Zimbabweans are hitting the polls in their first ever presidential election since Robert Mugabe was pushed out.

Zimbabwe opens up to vote at the Fitchela primary school in Kwekwe, Zimbabwe, Monday, July 30, 2018. The vote will be a first for the southern African nation following a military takeover and the ousting of former longterm leader Robert Mugabe. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Lets Recap

Last year, Mugabe (the country's leader for over 30 years) was pushed out of power by his own party and the military after he had fired his VP to give his wife a job. After he was pushed out the military and his own party took over and placed Mugabe under house arrest, where he eventually stepped down from his position as leader.

Who are they voting for today?

That VP he fired has his name on the ballot, it's Emmerson Mnangagwa, and he replaced Mugabe as president and head of the ruling party. The 75 year old wants to give the party a rebranding and has declared Zimbabwe "open for business."

His opponent, Nelson Chamisa is a 40 year old lawyer and pastor who could be Africa's youngest head of state. He's campaigning to cut taxes, create jobs, eliminate government corruption, and improve how the company handles foreign investments.

Who's Winning?

Recent polls show that Mnangagwa has a very small lead, but his party has been accused of vote rigging in the past and people are afraid there will be an outcry of violence once the results are released.

If neither candidate gets over 50% of the vote there will be another election in September.

The Zimbabwean election is very crucial because not only are people voting for someone other than Mugabe but the country's economy is struggling and could really use a fair and free election in order to attract foreign trade and investment.

Stay tuned for the results as they hit the polls today.