According to preliminary results announced at midnight, Grabar Kitarovic won 1,101,018 or 50.43% of votes, while Josipovic received 1,082,158 or 49.57%.
At the first presidential election held in independent Croatia in 1992, Franjo Tudjman claimed a victory in the first round with 56.73% of votes. He also won outright in the 1997 election, capturing 61.41% of votes.
The first presidential election held after Tudjman's death was decided in a runoff, when Stjepan Mesic of the Croatian People's Party (HNS) emerged victorious by receiving 56.21% of votes. In 2005, Mesic won a second term in office, also in a runoff, capturing 65.93%.
In 2010, Josipovic won his term in a run-off against Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic, receiving 1,339,385 or 60.26% of votes.
In the first round of the present election held on December 28, Josipovic won 38.46% and Grabar Kitarovic 37.22%. Turnout in the runoff was 58.91% or 2.24 million voters, which was about 450,000 more than in the first round. The number of invalid ballots increased considerably in the second round of the vote, exceeding 60,000 or 2.70%, as against 1.56% two weeks ago.