Dominicans went to polls Friday in a presidential election in which incumbent Leonel Fernandez is heavily favored to win a third term.
The polling stations opened at 6:00 local time (1000 GMT) and will close at 18:00 local time (2200 GMT) Friday. About 6 million of the country's 9 million people are registered to vote.
Some 42,000 police and soldiers have been deployed across the country for the elections. There are also some 200 international observers.
Seven candidates are competing for the presidency, with Leonel Fernandez, and his main rival Miguel Vargas Maldonado as the frontrunners.
A latest opinion poll showed that Fernandez from the Dominican Liberation Party would win 56 percent of the vote in the first round, while Vargas from the Dominican Revolutionary Party would get 37 percent.
Amable Aristy Castro from the Social Christian Reformist Party is in third place with 5 percent.
The other four candidates are Eduardo Estrella from Cuarta Via coalition, Guillermo Moreno from the leftist Independence Unity and Change Movement, Trajano Santana from the Independent Revolutionary Party and Pedro de Jesus Candelirer from the Popular Alliance.
The candidate will have to garner more than 50 percent of the vote to win the presidency. If there is no outright winner, a runoff vote will be held after 45 days between the two leading candidates.
Source:Xinhua
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