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Rwandans go to the polls today to elect their president. Here are the main rules of the election, according to the constitution:

The president is elected by universal and secret suffrage for a 5-year term.

The election takes place in a single round. The candidate who receives a relative majority becomes president. If two candidates receive the same number of votes, a second round is held.

The President must be a Rwandan citizen, born in the country, at least 35 years old, and not a citizen of any other country.

The President of the Republic and the President of the Chamber of Deputies may not belong to the same political party.

In 2015, a referendum amended the constitution, allowing Paul Kagame to run for a third seven-year term, followed by two additional five-year terms.

The body responsible for elections is the National Electoral Commission.

Any eligible Rwandan citizen who has reached the age of 18 has the right to vote.

Voting is open from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Preliminary results will be announced within 5 days. Final results will be announced within 7 days of the preliminary results.

President-elect takes public oath before Supreme Court justices.

President-elect takes office within 30 days.

The president is the head of state and commander in chief of the armed forces.

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