Argentines to vote in general election on Sunday

MOSCOW - Argentines will go to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president and legislature in a compulsory general election that will also be extended to 16- and 17-year-olds, reported Sputnik.

Polls will open at 8am local time (11:00 GMT) and close at 6pm, with the first election projections expected shortly after the gag on reporting is lifted at 9pm.

If no presidential candidate secures 45 per cent of the vote, or 40 per cent and a 10-point lead over their next rival, a runoff will be held on Nov 19.

The race appears to be tight, with three candidates emerging as frontrunners in the recent polls. They are libertarian economist and lawmaker Javier Milei, Economy Minister Sergio Massa, and centre-right former Security Minister Patricia Bullrich.

Neither incumbent President Alberto Fernandez nor his deputy and two-time president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner are seeking reelection this year. - BERNAMA-SPUTNIK