TUNIS, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) - The polling centers for the early presidential election opened on Sunday in 24 provinces of Tunisia. 

Tunisian poeple watch the Presidential TV debate in a cafe on September 7, 2019, in Tunis. (Photo: VCG)

Voters are queuing in front of the polling stations to vote for their new president, replacing former President Beji Caid Essebsi, who died on July 25 at the age of 92.

Tunisia's Independent High Authority for Elections said that preliminary results of the early presidential election will be announced on Sept. 17.

If none of the candidates obtains the absolute majority of the votes in this round, a second round will be held within two weeks after the announcement of the final results of the first round.

The country's Interior Ministry confirmed on Saturday that at least 70,000 security agents are deployed in different parts of the country to ensure the smooth voting for the election.

More than 7 million registered voters in Tunisia are expected to go to the polls for the presidential election.