The post was contested by a record number of 13 candidates -- the incumbent president Stjepan Mesic, who was nominated by several parliamentary opposition parties; Deputy Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ); Slaven Letica, who was nominated by the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP); Djurdja Adlesic of the Croatian Social Liberal Party (HSLS); Ivic Pasalic of the Croatian Bloc (HB); Anto Kovacevic of the Croatian Christian Democratic Union (HKDU), Tomislav Petrak of the Croatian Popular Party (HPS); Miroslav Rajh of the Croatian Youth Party (HSM); and independent candidates Miroslav Blazevic, Ljubo Cesic Rojs, Mladen Keser, Doris Kosta and Boris Miksic.
A total of 6,557 polling stations opened at 7 a.m., seven less than announced. The seven polling stations were not open on merchant navy ships whose crews stayed at home and were supposed to vote there, so the Ministry of Maritime Affairs dissolved the polling stations, State Election Commission chairman Ivica Crnic said.
An additional 400,000 Croatian citizens living abroad also had the right to take part in the vote.
According to a report from the State Election Commission, about 42 per cent voters cast their ballots at 86 per cent of the polling stations by 1600 hours.
The State Election Commission will release preliminary results shortly after midnight when the two-day electioneering ban expires.