Donetsk, Nov 11 – DAN. Voter turnout at the Head and Parliamentary elections has reached 80.1 percent by the time polling stations in DPR closed at 8 p.m. (UTC+3).

"At 8 p.m. sharp the voting wrapped up, all 408 polling stations closed. As of 8 p.m., the turnout was at 80.1 percent. Preliminary, the total of 1.6 million people have cast ballots," DPR Central Election Commission chairwoman Olga Pozdnyakova told journalists.

Five candidates are running for Head: Denis Pushilin, Elena Shishkina, Roman Khramenkov, Vladimir Medvedev, Roman Evstifeyev. Two social movements are vying for Parliament seats: the Donetsk Republic and the Free Donbass.

International observers have been invited to monitor the elections, 48 of them, nationals of Russia, Abkhazia, Austria, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Turkey, Finland, France, Chili and South Ossetia, were present as monitors.

Early elections took place from November 6 to November 10. All those who are unable to cast ballots today have had an opportunity to do so over the week, as DPR service members have done, among others. *ot