Austrians head to the polls to elect president

Voters in Austria headed to the polls on Sunday to cast their ballots in the country's presidential election. President Alexander Van der Bellen, 78, is seeking a second term after a first six years in which a succession of domestic political crises has given the head of state unusually high visibility in a role that is often largely ceremonial.

Nearly 6.4 million people in the Alpine country are eligible to vote in Sunday's election. Polls have shown a big lead for Van der Bellen, who has the implicit or explicit backing of Austria's mainstream parties. The main question is whether he will win outright in the first round or whether a runoff will be necessary against the second-placed candidate on November 6.