Venezuela kicks off voting in presidential election

Venezuela kicks off voting in presidential election Polling stations officially opened in Venezuela on Sunday for a presidential election that will shape the nation’s political trajectory for the next six years. Voting is taking place from 6 a.m. (10:00 GMT) to 6 p.m. local time, with the possibility of extended hours based on voter turnout. The National Electoral Council is expected to announce the initial official results late Monday night once the counting trend becomes irreversible. Candidates need a simple majority of the votes to win. Incumbent President Nicolas Maduro and former diplomat Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia are seen as the front-runners in the election, according to polls. Maduro was among the first to cast his ballot in the presidential election. He arrived at the Simon Rodriguez ecological school polling station in Caracas shortly after it opened, a Sputnik correspondent reported. This year’s election day coincides with the birthday of former President Hugo Chavez.... Source: Sputnik International