[1] Incumbent President Almazbek Atambayev was not allowed to run again because the constitution sets a single six-year term for the head of state.

[2] Eleven candidates registered for the race, and from this field Sooronbay Jeenbekov of the Social Democratic Party of Kyrgyzstan won more than 50% of the vote, avoiding a runoff.

In early August 2017, the leaders of three opposition parties – Onuguu–Progress, United Kyrgyzstan, and Respublika–Ata Zhurt – announced the creation of a coalition called Kaira Zharaluu (Revival), which was to field a single candidate – Bakyt Torobayev.

Going into the election, Temir Sariyev, Ömürbek Babanov, and Sooronbay Jeenbekov, all former prime ministers, were considered to be the leading candidates.

[19] One high-profile potential candidate, opposition leader Omurbek Tekebaev, was convicted on corruption and fraud charges on 16 August 2017,[20] and as such could not run for president.

On the next day the Central Election Commission invalidated the list of signatures presented by Tekebaev because he violated financing rules.

However, a number of candidates subsequently withdrew; Kamchybek Tashiev decided to withdraw in favour of Sooronbay Jeenbekov on 25 September.

Election monitors from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe gave a "generally positive" report of the election's fairness, but made note of concerns over "misuse of public resources, pressure on voters and vote buying",[3] as well as media bias and the arrest of opposition leader Omurbek Tekebayev and some of Babanov's supporters before the vote.