Voter turnout hit 76.9 percent in Kazakhstan by 16:00 local time, thus exceeding the total voter turnover in the 2005 presidential elections, a member of the Central Election Commission, Tatyana Okhlopkova, told a press-briefing on Sunday, Trend cites RIA Novosti.
"As of 16:00, roughly 7,560,748 people or 76.9 percent of the electorate voted," Mrs. Okhlopkova said. She also mentioned that voter turnout was 76.78 percent in 2005.
Polling stations will stay open until 20:00 p.m.
A total of 1,059 accredited observers are monitoring the elections in the country. The most numerous mission is from the Commonwealth of Independent States (425 people) and the OSCE (357 people).
There are four candidates running for the presidency. They are incumbent President of the country Nursultan Nazarbayev , Communist Zhambyl Ahmetbekov, leader of the Patriots Party, Senator Gani Kasimov and Tabiyat Ecological Union leader Mels Eleusizov.
