CAIRO
Polls closed Monday on the first day of Egypt's presidential vote, in which former army chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi is facing off leftist Hamdeen Sabahi.
Egyptians will cast ballot in a second and final day of voting on Tuesday.
The vote is the second step in an army-imposed roadmap for Egypt's transition following the ouster of elected president Mohamed Morsi last July.
The roadmap, which included a constitutional referendum in January, will conclude with parliamentary elections later this year.
The winner of the polls will take over from interim president Adly Mansour, who was installed by the army following Morsi's ouster and subsequent imprisonment.
Five international organizations and 79 local ones have been authorized by the electoral commission to observe the voting process.
In addition to nongovernmental monitors, envoys from the Arab League; the European Union; the African Union; the Common Market for East and South Africa will follow up the vote.
Around 300,000 police and army personnel have been deployed to secure the process nationwide.
Egypt declares final day of presidential vote a 'vacation'
The Egyptian government has declared the final day of the country's presidential vote a public holiday.
Speaking to the Egyptian television shortly after polls closed on the first day of the ballot on Monday, Prime Minister Ibrahim Mahlab said that the move aimed "to allow all Egyptians to cast their ballot".
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