ABIDJAN, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- Voters in Cote d'Ivoire began casting their ballots on Saturday in the 2025 presidential election.

At the Groupe Scolaire Plateau de Port-Bouet 2 voting center in Abidjan, many voters arrived before 8:00 a.m. (0800 GMT), the official start time, under the watch of police officers and gendarmes.

Polling stations will remain open until 6:00 p.m. local time. According to the Independent Electoral Commission, a total of 25,678 polling stations have been set up, 25,370 within Cote d'Ivoire and 308 abroad, to accommodate 8,727,431 registered voters, including 8,607,253 in the country and 120,178 overseas.

Incumbent President Alassane Ouattara is seeking a fourth term in office, facing four other contenders. The election is being held amid heightened political and social tension following court rulings that barred key opposition leaders from contesting. ■