GENEVA

Finnish voters on Sunday headed to the polls to elect the successor of President Sauli Niinisto, whose second six-year term is set to end.

Voting in the country began at 9 a.m. (0700GMT) and will end at 9 p.m.

Some 4.5 million voters will vote for nine candidates, however, polls show that former Prime Minister Alexander Stubb and former Foreign Minister Pekka Haavisto are the frontrunners.

If no candidate receives the required more than 50% of the votes in the first round, a second round of elections will take place on Feb. 11.

The first unofficial results are expected by midnight.

Finland abandoned its long-standing policy of military neutrality under Niinisto's presidency, following the Russia-Ukraine war and became a NATO member in April.