Italian election could take far-right to power

Italians began voting in a national election on Sunday which comes at a critical time for Europe. Sunday's balloting for Italy's Parliament might yield the nation's first government led by the far-right since the end of World War II.

Opinion polls had indicated Giorgia Meloni and her Brothers of Italy party would be the top vote-getter. Polls opened at 7 a.m., and the counting of paper ballots was expected to begin shortly after they close at 11 p.m., with projections based on partial results coming early Monday morning. If Meloni becomes premier, she will be the first woman in Italy to hold the office. Nearly 51 million Italians were eligible to vote.