Ljubljana: Polls opened in the Slovenian presidential election on Sunday, with incumbent President Borut Pahor running for his second five-year mandate against eight other candidates.
Some 1.7 million voters are eligible to cast their ballots until 1700 GMT with preliminary results expected around 1900 GMT.
Opinion polls predicted a first-round cruise to victory for Pahor and a distant second place for the mayor of the Alpine town of Kamnik, Marjan Sarec.
None of the remaining seven runners, a record five of them women, were expected to win percentages in the double digits.
If no candidate wins at least 50% of votes in the first round, the two candidates with the most votes will compete in a second round on November 12.
The president of Slovenia is a largely ceremonial role, as most of the power is in the hands of prime minister and parliament, which is due for elections next year.
