LUSAKA, Zambia (AP) — Vote counting in Zambia’s presidential election was suspended by the electoral authority Friday over reports of attacks on polling officials and the theft of some ballot papers.
The Electoral Commission of Zambia said it was suspending the counting immediately “in view of the security situation and continued threats of violence.” It did not say who might be responsible for the alleged theft.
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People queue up outside a polling station during a presidential election in Lusaka, Zambia, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Anita Reed)
Election workers count ballots at a polling station in Lusaka, South Africa, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Alfonso Nqunjana)
Ballot papers are seen at a polling station during a presidential election in Lusaka, Zambia, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Anita Reed)
A woman is seen in a voting booth at a polling station in Lusaka, Zambia, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Anita Reed)
Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema shares a light moment with journalists after casting his vote at a polling station in Lusaka, Zambia, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Anita Reed)
Election workers count ballots at a polling station in Lusaka, South Africa, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Alfonso Nqunjana)
The commission said it would review the decision in 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the main opposition leader, Brian Mundubile, claimed victory and said the delay could lead to “an opportunity for interference with or manipulation of the results.”
Mundubile said he had received information that members of the military had taken control of vote counting stations in at least one town and boxes containing ballots had been taken away from stations in other places. He did not provide any evidence for that claim.
There was no sign of any unrest in the capital, Lusaka.
Zambia, a former British colony, has held largely peaceful elections since it returned to a multiparty democracy in 1991 but there was some criticism of President Hakainde Hichilema ahead of Thursday's election by the opposition and independent rights groups, which said his government was squeezing dissent.
Mundubile’s alliance had accused the government of being behind a law enforcement agency raid on its offices days before the election and claimed the action was designed to hurt the alliance’s election campaign.
The election in the copper-rich southern African country saw Hichilema seeking a second term in office. Results were initially expected to be announced on Monday, according to the electoral commission, though it said they might come sooner.
Hichilema ran against 13 other candidates including Mundubile, the leader of an alliance of opposition parties who is seen as Hichilema’s strongest challenger.
Zambians also voted for members of Parliament and local government councilors. About 8 million people in the country of 22 million were registered to vote at more than 13,500 polling stations.
The election was largely seen as a test of Hichilema’s economic reforms, and whether they were enough to overcome widespread frustration over the cost of living. Hichilema stabilized the economy after a debt crisis in 2020, but critics say those reforms haven't yet benefited ordinary Zambians struggling with a high cost of living and electricity shortages.
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People queue up outside a polling station during a presidential election in Lusaka, Zambia, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Anita Reed)
Election workers count ballots at a polling station in Lusaka, South Africa, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Alfonso Nqunjana)
Ballot papers are seen at a polling station during a presidential election in Lusaka, Zambia, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Anita Reed)
A woman is seen in a voting booth at a polling station in Lusaka, Zambia, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Anita Reed)
Zambia's President Hakainde Hichilema shares a light moment with journalists after casting his vote at a polling station in Lusaka, Zambia, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Anita Reed)
Election workers count ballots at a polling station in Lusaka, South Africa, Thursday, Aug. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Alfonso Nqunjana)
NEW YORK (AP) — As traumatic injuries and deaths surge among children involved in crashes on e-bikes and other electrified vehicles, one California prosecutor is cracking down by pursuing criminal charges against some of the young riders' parents.
It is just one way officials across the country are trying to tackle the growing issue, while families navigate a patchwork of local laws and guidance on what kind of souped-up cycles and scooters are safe or even legal for their kids to ride.
New York City’s mayor recently sent cease-and-desist notices to dozens of online retailers for selling products marketed as “e-bikes” that aren’t street legal after a 17-year-old died in a crash on an illicit vehicle. In neighboring New Jersey, new regulations require e-bike riders to be at least 15 and obtain a license and vehicle registration.
But do the measures hit the mark? Cycling advocates worry regulations might be too broad — demonizing low-powered e-bikes instead of speedier motos — while some parents question whether localized, piecemeal strategies are enough.
Monica Stafford, a San Francisco-area mother whose teen daughter fractured her skull falling off an e-bike, said officials are “missing the mark” if they’re seeking to lay the blame solely on parents. The San Rafael resident said a unified, national set of rules is needed.
“We’re in a total Wild West of laws,” Stafford said. “Being for common sense laws doesn’t mean that you’re against e-bikes, just like you can be for cars but not think that it’s safe to put keys in the hands of a 10-year-old.”
The two-wheeled machines have become nearly ubiquitous in recent years, from packs of teens zipping around California beach towns to the army of delivery drivers dodging traffic on the congested streets of Manhattan.
Hospital visits for injuries from e-bike, e-scooter and other motorized rides have, as expected, soared as they have grown in popularity, study after study has shown. But researchers stress that the more concerning trends are the severity of the injuries and the fact that they’re especially pronounced among children.
“The big takeaway is that people are generally more severely injured than they would be if they were on a traditional, pedal bicycle,” said Dr. John Austin, a doctor at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine who led a recently published statewide study. “Overall, these patients tend to be younger, they tend to be unhelmeted and, in turn, be more severely injured.”
Most e-bikes are classified as nonmotorized vehicles akin to traditional bicycles under federal law, meaning riders don’t need a license, insurance or to even wear a helmet. Most states, though, have enacted additional requirements for higher powered machines, including minimum age and helmet requirements.
In New York City, the death of the 17-year-old just steps from City Hall has spurred renewed debate about the bikes. Gabriel Nacato had been riding a vehicle advertised as an “e-bike” but wasn't legal on city streets.
Earlier this month, Mayor Zohran Mamdani warned more than 40 online retailers, including Amazon, Walmart and Target, that they could face fines of up to $2,000 for each sale of an e-bike that exceeds city regulations.
New York state requires riders of all forms of e-bikes to be at least 16, and New York City imposes additional restrictions, including a 15 mph (24 kph) speed limit. California, in contrast, has no statewide minimum age for lower-powered bikes, though riders must be at least 16 to use e-bikes that can go up to 28 mph (45 kph).
New Jersey and Illinois are among the states that have enacted statewide regulations recently, and Massachusetts is weighing measures. Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in June vetoed a 10 mph (16 kph) speed limit and other e-bike regulations, saying the measures would lead to “enhanced surveillance” of citizens.
In Southern California, Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer says his office has more than two dozen open investigations against parents after launching a new unit focused on e-bike and e-motorcycle cases involving children.
The office has already brought charges against four, including the mother of a 14-year-old boy accused of killing an elderly pedestrian while riding an e-motorcycle.
That mother’s attorney declined to comment, but Mitchell Krems, the lawyer for another parent, dismissed the charges against his client as “absurd,” suggesting his client was being made a “scapegoat.”
Richard Eyssallenne pleaded not guilty to child endangerment charges after prosecutors say he bought his 12-year-old son an e-motorcycle and helped him illegally modify it to make it go faster. The boy ran through a red light and was injured by a car.
Other jurisdictions have also taken steps to hold parents liable. In Ohio, a Columbus suburb recently issued new e-bike rules making it clear that parents who knowingly allow their children to break the rules are subject to the same penalties as the rider.
PeopleForBikes, a national bicycle advocacy group that tracks state e-bike regulations, stressed that many of the problematic vehicles are actually electronic motorcycles with heavy frames, sturdy tires and sizable motors that are falsely marketed as e-bikes.
Lower-powered and pedal-assisted e-bikes have been used safely for decades on U.S. streets and are key to reducing society's reliance on cars, advocates argue.
“Many of the dangerous behaviors people cite — running red lights, riding on sidewalks, not wearing helmets — are already illegal,” added Chloé Lauer, executive director of the San Diego County Bike Coalition. “We’d rather see those laws enforced than add new restrictions that limit mobility for kids who are riding responsibly.”
Anya Dalal, a San Francisco-area high school senior who has been advocating for better safety measures, believes the problem requires multiple solutions, including setting age limits.
“It should be a mix of parental accountability, accountability from the manufacturers and retailers and also education for kids to understand e-bike laws and road rules,” said the 17-year-old Hillsborough resident.
Sharon Franke, a San Diego-area mother, agreed, though she said the first step starts at home, with parents doing their research, accompanying their children on rides and reinforcing safety once they set off on their own.
“We want them to have fun, but we also want them to come back safe and we don’t want them to hurt anybody,” she said as her 15- and 12-year-old sons prepared to attend a safety training last weekend. “How do you balance all of it? It’s just overwhelming right now.”
Associated Press reporters Amy Taxin and Christopher Weber in California and Anthony Izaguirre in New York contributed to this story.
Follow Philip Marcelo at https://x.com/philmarcelo
A group of kids ride e-bikes during an e-bike safety and training class Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
An adult rides an e-bike with a child in Santa Monica, Calif., Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
A group of riders listen to an instructor during an e-bike safety and training class Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
A boy rides an e-bike in Santa Monica, Calif., Monday, Aug. 10, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
