Voting in the 2012 general election got underway at 7am on Sunday at 20,560 polling stations in 56 constituencies across the country. Polling stations will remain open until 7pm.

A total of 9,850,803 people (4,771,377 men and 5,079,425 women) are registered to vote, of which 3.65 percent are first-time voters.

The voting age is normally 18 and over, but all citizens born in 1994 will be allowed to participate, whether they have reached 18 or not.

There are 6,510 candidates running in the election.

Parliament comprises 300 MPs, 238 of whom are voted directly according to the reinforced proportional representation system in eight single- and 48 multiseat constituencies.

Voters will be given 29 ballot papers (one for each party running in the election plus a blank ballot) and an envelope. In some consituences where there are independents running, voters will receive additional ballots.

Inside the polling booths, they will choose only one ballot paper. After indicating their preferred candidates on the party ticket by marking a cross (a "+", not an "X") next to their names, they will insert the ballot paper into the envelope and then into the ballot box.

The maximum number of crosses allowed depends on the number of MPs elected in the constituency: only one cross is in constituencies returning up to three MPs, two crosses those electing between four and seven MPs, three crosses in 8 to 13 seat constituencies, and four crosses in the three constituencies that return over 13 MPs.

Another dozen seats are allocated at state level, on the basis of the nationwide share of the vote of the parties that cross the three percent threshold necessary to enter parliament. The twelve deputies elected in this way are drawn from party lists.

The first-past-the-post party will receive the election’s biggest prize – a 50-seat bonus.

Unofficial exit polls will be announced, via the media, by the country’s polling agencies shortly after the closing of polling stations.

The authorities say that they expect results from a quarter of polling stations by 9.30am, while the first indicative results are anticipated no sooner than 11am on Sunday night.

The counting should be completed in the early hours of Monday morning.