Turnout for presidential vote in Kazakhstan tops 77 percent

The final voter turnout for the Kazakhstani snap presidential election was 77.4 percent, the nation’s Central Election Commission said.

Polling stations closed at 8pm local time on Sunday, and the vote count has begun.

The nation is choosing its leader after the president for almost 30 years, Nursultan Nazarbayev, unexpectedly resigned in March.

Former speaker of the Senate, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who was appointed president after Nazarbayev’s departure, is a heavy favorite to win, according to the pre-election day polls. Overall, there were seven contenders in the race.