NUR-SULTAN - Kazakhstan's presidential election kicked off on Sunday with seven candidates vying for the top office.

A man casts his vote at a polling station during presidential elections in Nur Sultan, Kazakhstan on June 9, 2019. (Photo: Xinhua)

Around 10,000 polling stations were arranged home and abroad, including 65 in 51 foreign countries.

Polls in Kazakhstan opened at 7:00 am local time (0100 GMT) and will close at 8:00 pm (1400 GMT).

Central Electoral Commission (CEC) of Kazakhstan has registered 1,013 international observers from 41 countries and nine international organizations to monitor the voting process.

A total of 11,814,019 Kazakhstan citizens were registered as voters as of Jan 1, 2019.

Kazakhstan deployed about 19,000 law enforcement personnel across the country to ensure the elections proceed peacefully.