In Croatia, the eighth presidential elections began on Sunday at 7 a.m., with the eight candidates running for the position, and polling stations are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m in the country.

In addition to Croatia, the presidential elections are organised for Croatians abroad in 38 countries, nine fewer than for the previous elections five years ago.

A total of 3,762,224 voters have the right to vote.

Voters will decide whether to grant a second term to the current president, Zoran Milanovic, who is supported by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its partners, or elect one of his challengers.

The remaining seven candidates include Dragan Primorac, supported by the ruling HDZ and partners, Miro Bulj of the conservative Bridge party, Branka Lozo of the right-wing Home and National Rally party (DOMiNO), Ivana Kekin of the left-wing Green party called We Can!, and three independents: Marija Selak Raspudic, Tomislav Jonjic, and Niko Tokic Kartelo.

The State Electoral Commission (DIP), the key body in charge of the conduct of the election, has called on voters to exercise their right to vote.

“We also call for the process to proceed peacefully, in a democratic atmosphere, and for voters to exercise their constitutional right,” said Vesna Fabijancic Krizanic, Deputy Chairperson of DIP.

Voters in Croatia can cast their votes at over 6,500 polling stations throughout the country, as well as at 123 special polling stations, where prison inmates, ship crews, and voters in social care institutions can cast their ballots.

Each voter will receive a single ballot paper listing the names of the eight candidates in alphabetical order.

Voters mark the number next to the name of the candidate they see as the future President of Croatia on the ballot and cast it in the ballot box.

If none of the candidates musters 50% plus one vote in the first round, the first two vote-getters advance to the presidential runoff 14 days after the first round.

DIP will release the first incomplete election results on Sunday at 8 p.m., and will then update them every ten minutes.

Voter turnout data can be expected at noon and 5 p.m.

Five years ago, by noon, 15.75% of voters, or just over 550,000, had voted, and by 5 p.m., 36.36%, or 1.34 million, had cast their ballots.

Employers working on election Sunday have been urged by DIP to allow their employees to go to the polls.

The elections will be observed by about 13,400 domestic and five foreign monitors, including two from the United States, two from Lithuania, and one from Georgia.

Approximately 44,000 citizens are involved in the election administration.

At 9 a.m. CET, voting will close at three polling stations in Australia. Thus, two hours after the polling stations open in Croatia, voting will end at the three polling stations in Australia: Canberra, Sydney, and Melbourne. Voting at these stations began at 9 p.m. on Saturday Croatian time that is CET.

Abroad, polling stations will open and close last in Chicago and Los Angeles, at 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. CET respectively.