UPDATE 3 - 18.45 CET - According to the National Election Commission, turnout in Poland’s second round presidential election was 42.10 percent at 17.00 CET.
In the first round of elections, two weeks ago, 41.57 percent had voted at 5 pm.
The highest turnout was recorded in the seaside town of Reval, with 78.32 percent casting votes.
In the major cities turnout was as follows: Bialystok - 46 , 72 percent. , Bydgoszcz - 42.81 percent. , Gdańsk - 45.58 percent. , Katowice - 42.08 percent. , Krakow - 46.66 percent. , Lublin -46 , 17 percent . , Lodz - 42.31 percent. , Poznan - 45.26 percent. , Szczecin - 42.66 percent. , Wroclaw - 44.35 percent.
Troops vote in Afghanistan
Meanwhile, troops from the Polish contingent in Afghanistan have been casting their votes, says press spokesman Sebastian Kostecki. The soldiers are voting in the capital Kabul and the cities of Bagram and Ghazni, and in permanent bases in the southeast. After polling stations close ballots are to be transferred to the Polish consulate in Kabul.
Poles have also been voting in France at special polling stations in Paris, Lille, Strasbourg, Lyon and Toulouse.
Candidates vote
Both candidates, Jaroslaw Kaczynski and Bronislaw Komorowski voted in Poland‘s second round of presidential elections this morning.
photo - east newsJaroslaw Kaczynski did so this morning near his home in Żoliborz, in the north of Warsaw, accompanied by his niece Marta, daughter of the late Lech Kaczynski, and her children.
Bronislaw Komorowski voted in Ruda Maćkowa, Podlasie, in the northeast of the country, where he ha a summer house. His wife, Anna, also voted there.
Former president Lech Walesa also voted, Sunday morning, in Krakow where he is attending the Community of Democracies conference.
At around 4.30 pm local time former president, and two-time election winner, Aleksander Kwasniewski voted near his home in Wilanow, south Warsaw.
After two hours of voting in the second round of presidential elections, at 08.00 CET, turnout was at 2.52 percent, according to an official statement by the National Electoral Commission.
At the same time in the first round of elections two weeks ago 1.85 percent had cast their vote.
Highest turnout was recorded at 8 am in the western seaside town of Ustronie Morskie where 20.17 percent of eligible voters went to the polls.
Polling stations around the country will be open till 20.00 CET. Thirty million Poles are eligible to vote in the run off between Kaczynski and Komorowski.
Around 25,000 polling stations opened on time at 0.6.00 CET this morning, 731 places in hospitals have been set up for the sick to cast their ballots and 100 in prisons. Over 250 polling stations have been organised abroad.
The cost of the two rounds of elections is expected to reach 121 million zloty (30 million euros). (peter gentle)
source: PAP/IAR
This article will be updated throughout the day until polls close at 8 pm.
Related link: ELECTIONS 2010 - FACTSHEET
For more of our election coverage check out our Poland Decides 2010 microsite.
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