Voter turnout in Ukraine's presidential election at 45.11 pct so far
Xinhua
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Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko gestures as he arrives at a polling station during the presidential election in Kiev, Ukraine, March 31, 2019. Voters in Ukraine are casting ballots in a presidential election Sunday after a campaign that produced a comedian with no political experience as the front-runner and allegations of voter bribery. (Photo: AP)

KIEV, March 31 (Xinhua) -- The voter turnout in Ukraine's presidential elections reached 45.11 percent as of 3 p.m. local time (1200 GMT), seven hours after voting started, the country's Central Electoral Commission (CEC) said on Sunday.

The CEC's figure is based on the data provided by 195 out of 199 electoral districts across the country.

Voting in the presidential elections in Ukraine kicked off at 8 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) on Sunday with a record 39 candidates competing for the presidency. The polling stations will close at 8 p.m. (1700 GMT).

Earlier in the day, the Committee of Voters of Ukraine said it expects a voter turnout of about 60 percent.

According to a recent survey, up to 85 percent of some 29.8 million eligible voters are expected to participate in the seventh presidential elections since Ukraine's independence in 1991.

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Ukrainian comedian and presidential candidate Volodymyr Zelenskiy, arrives at a polling station, during the presidential elections in Kiev, Ukraine, March. 31, 2019. (Photo: AP)