Voting centers across Croatia opened at 06:00 AM on Sunday for the election of the country’s new president, in a race where candidates from the two largest political parties are the main contenders.
Approximately 3.8 million Croats are eligible to vote for one of the eight candidates, three of whom are women, ranging from left to right on the political spectrum.
The current president, Zoran Milanović, the candidate of the opposition Social Democratic Party, is running for a second term. His main opponent is Dragan Primorac, a former science minister supported by the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ).
The election will proceed to a second round if no candidate secures a majority of the votes.
Milanović has led in opinion polls both before and after the election campaign, which analysts have described as dull and uninspiring. The most recent poll published on Friday by Nova TV Daily News showed Milanović leading with 37.2% support, compared to Primorac’s 20.4%.
Next in line are two women candidates—independent Marija Selak Raspudić and Ivana Kekin from the left-wing green party We Can! (Mozemo), both of whom have gathered around 10% support in the poll.
Voting centers close at 18:00, with the first preliminary results expected shortly thereafter. The official results are expected to be announced in the following days, according to Reuters.
