SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) - The Latest on the runoff presidential election in North Macedonia (all times local):

Election officials in North Macedonia say voter turnout in the runoff presidential election is close to the threshold needed for results to be valid.

North Macedonia's State Electoral Commission said that as of 5 p.m. local time (1500 GMT), turnout stood at 38.2 percent. The election for the largely ceremonial post needs 40 percent to stand.

If too few ballots are cast Sunday, the two-round contest would have to be repeated and the parliament speaker would serve as interim president.

The two candidates, both law professors, are Stevo Pendarovski of the ruling Social Democratic Union, and Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, who was backed by the conservative opposition VMRO-DPMNE party.

Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, centre, presidential candidate for the opposition conservative VMRO-DPMNE party, talks to the media after voting for the presidential election, in Skopje, North Macedonia, Sunday, May 5, 2019. Polls opened in North Macedonia for a presidential election runoff between two top vote-getters from the first round. The two candidates, Stevo Pendarovski of the ruling Social Democrats, and Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, backed by the conservative opposition VMRO-DPMNE party, finished in a near dead heat, with about 42% of the votes each, in the first round on April 21. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)

Polls have opened in North Macedonia for a presidential election runoff between two top vote-getters from the first round.

More than 3,400 polling stations opened at 7 a.m. Sunday.

The two candidates, Stevo Pendarovski of the ruling Social Democrats, and Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, backed by the conservative opposition VMRO-DPMNE party, finished in a near dead heat, with about 42% of the votes each, in the first round on April 21.

A key question is whether turnout will reach the 40% needed for the election to be valid. The first round barely made it past, with a turnout of 41.8%.

If declared invalid, the two-round contest for the largely ceremonial post will be repeated.

Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, presidential candidate for the opposition conservative VMRO-DPMNE party, holds her ballot prior voting for the presidential election at a polling station, in Skopje, North Macedonia, Sunday, May 5, 2019. Polls opened in North Macedonia for a presidential election runoff between two top vote-getters from the first round. The two candidates, Stevo Pendarovski of the ruling Social Democrats, and Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, backed by the conservative opposition VMRO-DPMNE party, finished in a near dead heat, with about 42% of the votes each, in the first round on April 21. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)

Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, presidential candidate for the opposition conservative VMRO-DPMNE party, casts her ballot for the presidential election at a polling station, in Skopje, North Macedonia, Sunday, May 5, 2019. Polls opened in North Macedonia for a presidential election runoff between two top vote-getters from the first round. The two candidates, Stevo Pendarovski of the ruling Social Democrats, and Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, backed by the conservative opposition VMRO-DPMNE party, finished in a near dead heat, with about 42% of the votes each, in the first round on April 21. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski) </s> SKOPJE, North Macedonia — Polls have opened in North Macedonia for a presidential election runoff between two top vote-getters from the first round.

More than 3,400 polling stations opened at 7 a.m. Sunday.

The two candidates, Stevo Pendarovski of the ruling Social Democrats, and Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, backed by the conservative opposition VMRO-DPMNE party, finished in a near dead heat, with about 42% of the votes each, in the first round on April 21.

A key question is whether turnout will reach the 40% needed for the election to be valid. The first round barely made it past, with a turnout of 41.8%.

If declared invalid, the two-round contest for the largely ceremonial post will be repeated. </s> By The Associated Press

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — The Latest on the runoff presidential election in North Macedonia (all times local):

Election officials in North Macedonia say voter turnout in the runoff presidential election is close to the threshold needed for results to be valid.

North Macedonia’s State Electoral Commission said that as of 5 p.m. local time (1500 GMT), turnout stood at 38.2 percent. The election for the largely ceremonial post needs 40 percent to stand.

If too few ballots are cast Sunday, the two-round contest would have to be repeated and the parliament speaker would serve as interim president.

The two candidates, both law professors, are Stevo Pendarovski of the ruling Social Democratic Union, and Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, who was backed by the conservative opposition VMRO-DPMNE party.

Polls have opened in North Macedonia for a presidential election runoff between two top vote-getters from the first round.

More than 3,400 polling stations opened at 7 a.m. Sunday.

The two candidates, Stevo Pendarovski of the ruling Social Democrats, and Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, backed by the conservative opposition VMRO-DPMNE party, finished in a near dead heat, with about 42% of the votes each, in the first round on April 21.

A key question is whether turnout will reach the 40% needed for the election to be valid. The first round barely made it past, with a turnout of 41.8%.

If declared invalid, the two-round contest for the largely ceremonial post will be repeated.

Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. </s> The rivals running for North Macedonia's presidency, Stevo Pendarovski and Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, cast their ballots in the May 5 runoff in Skopje. Pendarovski represents the ruling coalition while Siljanovska-Davkova has been nominated by the opposition contesting the country's recent name change from Macedonia to North Macedonia. </s> SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — The Latest on the presidential election in North Macedonia (all times local): 9:55 p.m. Returns from North Macedonia’s presidential election are giving an indication of which of the three candidates…

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — The Latest on the presidential election in North Macedonia (all times local):

Returns from North Macedonia’s presidential election are giving an indication of which of the three candidates will compete in a runoff early next month.

The May 5 runoff is inevitable because the small European country’s election law requires a candidate to get 50% plus one of registered voters, not just voters who cast ballots for president, to be elected in the first round. The state electoral commission reported the turnout Sunday was 39.26%.

With about half of polling stations reporting, Stevo Pendarovski and Gordana Siljanovska Davkova were in a close contest for the most support. Pendarovski, the joint candidate of the ruling Social Democrats and 30 other parties, held a slight lead, with 42.4% of the partial vote to Siljanovska’s 41.1%.

The main conservative opposition VMRO-DPMNE party backed Siljanovska, the first woman to run for president in the country. .

Blerim Reka, a candidate supported by two small ethnic Albanian political parties, had 12.3% of the early returns.

Polls opened early Sunday in North Macedonia for a presidential election seen as a key test for the government following the country’s changing its name to end a decades-old dispute with neighboring Greece over the use of the term “Macedonia”.

More than 3,400 polling stations opened at 7 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) and will close at 7 p.m. (1700GMT).

Three university professors are vying for the largely ceremonial presidency post.

Gordana Siljanovska Davkova is backed by the main conservative opposition VMRO-DPMNE party, Stevo Pendarovski is a joint candidate of the ruling Social Democrats and 30 smaller parties, while Blerim Reka is supported by two small ethnic Albanian parties.

A candidate needs 50% plus one vote of the 1.8 million registered voters to win outright in the first round.

Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed. </s> Stevo Pendarovski, the candidate of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia and the ethnic Albanian Democratic Union for Integration, was in the lead after voting ended on May 5 in the second round of the Republic of North Macedonia’s presidential elections, according to early results.

Voting ended at 7pm Skopje time, with turnout at 44.5 per cent, sufficient for the vote to be valid.

With just more than 30 per cent of the votes counted, Pendarovski, a 55-year-old former political science professor, had about 57 per cent to 40 per cent for his rival, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, the candidate of former ruling party, the right-wing VMRO-DPMNE.

Reports from Skopje on the evening of May 5 said that Prime Minister Zoran Zaev’s Social Democratic Union already had claimed victory, “warning the opposition not to bet on fake news to justify its defeat”.

The VMRO-DPMNE said that if Pendarovski were named the winner, this would be the result of “election engineering” on behalf of the ruling party.

Casting his ballot on May 5, Pendarovski – who two weeks earlier had just more than a mere 4000 votes more than Siljanovska-Davkova, said that he expected an even more convincing victory at the second round.

Official results are required to be announced within 24 hours of the close of voting.

The 2019 vote was the sixth presidential election in North Macedonia. Whoever wins will become the country’s fifth head of state.

The Republic of North Macedonia’s incumbent President, Gjorge Ivanov, could not stand again, having used up his two constitutional terms as head of state.

Ivanov served as head of state on the ticket of the VMRO-DPMNE, the country’s former long-standing ruling party, and was a vehement critic of the former Yugoslav republic’s agreement with Greece that brought to an end the dispute on the use of the name “Macedonia”. </s> SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — Stevo Pendarovski, the presidential candidate backed by North Macedonia’s center-left government, won the presidency Sunday in a runoff election with a conservative rival.

State election commission chief Oliver Derkorski announced late Sunday that with nearly 99 percent of the votes counted, Pendarovski, the candidate of the ruling Social Democratic Union, had won with 51.8% of the votes. Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, the candidate favored by the conservative opposition VMRO-DPMNE party, got 44.5%.

The two politicians had each received about 42% in the first round of voting April 21, which had three candidates.

Even before the official announcement, Social Democrat supporters had gathered at the party’s headquarters in downtown Skopje, the country’s capital, to celebrate as favorable results trickled in.

“This is a victory for all who are convinced that we have to continue forward together and I promise I’ll serve all the people equally,” Pendarovski said from the Social Democrats’ headquarters. He also thanked the people for their “wise choice.”

“Our path is paved with success. … We all will continue to move forward toward our common goal of progress and … toward NATO and the European Union,” said Prime Minister Zoran Zaev.

Siljanovska accepted her defeat but took a rosy view.

“The figures say defeat, but I’ve never felt more fulfilled .,” she said. “I believed I could help Macedonia to gain democracy. … I know that the other candidate has won, but I know that I did not lose the battle.”

The election was seen as a test of the government’s pro-West policies. Pendarovski backed the government deal with Greece that renamed the country in exchange for NATO membership, while Siljankovska criticized it.

A key question in the runoff had been whether voter turnout would reach the 40% threshold needed for the election to be valid. The head of the election commission said the final turnout figure was 46.4% of registered voters, in what he had earlier termed a “peaceful and dignified” election.

Election observers reported a small number of minor infractions, such as voters photographing ballots with cellphones and disturbances outside some polling stations.

North Macedonia’s previous constitutional name was the Republic of Macedonia. The name change took effect in February as part of an agreement to end a decades-long dispute with Greece, which blocked the former Yugoslav republic’s path to membership in NATO and the European Union over rights to the Macedonia name.

Both Pendarovski, 55, and Siljanovska, 63, are law professors. Siljanovska said as she cast her ballot Sunday that she would respect the new constitutional name in a professional capacity “but will not use it personally” and planned to do her “best to show that the Prespa agreement (with Greece) has severe (legal) problems.”

Although the presidency is mostly ceremonial, with some powers to veto legislation, the outcome of the vote could trigger an early parliamentary election. Prime Minister Zaev, who staked his reputation on negotiating the name deal, said he would call one if Pendarovski were not elected.

Outgoing President Gjorge Ivanov, a conservative, is serving his second and final five-year term, which ends on May 12. Ivanov opposed the agreement with Greece.

Copyright © 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area. </s> North Macedonia's pro-Western candidate has narrowly won the first round of a presidential poll which comes amid deep divisions over the country's name change under a deal with Greece.

Stevo Pendarovski won with 42.6% of the votes, according to results on the State Election Commission website, which is based on 74% of counted votes.

Pendarovski's rival opposition candidate Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova came second with 41.6% of the vote. They will face each other in a run-off vote on May 5.

However, the State election commission put voter turnout at just 39%.

Pendarovski is a candidate from the governing SDSM coalition and a former adviser on national security in the Presidential Cabinet. He has adopted the campaign slogan of 'Together Forward' and is attempting to mobilise support across the ethnic divides of North Macedonia.

Pendarovski is a firm supporter of the Prespa Agreement, the accord which saw the Republic of Macedonia become North Macedonia, which could see the country gaining membership in NATO and the EU.

His pro-European message is being countered by Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, the candidate from the right-wing VMRO-DPMNE. The University Professor is playing to a significant crowd of Macedonians who are against by the Prespa Agreement, adopting the slogan 'Justice for Macedonia'. She has called for the Prespa Agreement to be changed and has called it “degrading”.

However, analysts have said the low voter turnout on Sunday reflects the disillusion among young voters about the government's failure to tackle high unemployment and attract foreign investment. </s> SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) - The Latest on the presidential election in North Macedonia (all times local):

Returns from North Macedonia's presidential election are giving an indication of which of the three candidates will compete in a runoff early next month.

The May 5 runoff is inevitable because the small European country's election law requires a candidate to get 50% plus one of registered voters, not just voters who cast ballots for president, to be elected in the first round. The state electoral commission reported the turnout Sunday was 39.26%.

With about half of polling stations reporting, Stevo Pendarovski and Gordana Siljanovska Davkova were in a close contest for the most support. Pendarovski, the joint candidate of the ruling Social Democrats and 30 other parties, held a slight lead, with 42.4% of the partial vote to Siljanovska's 41.1%.

The main conservative opposition VMRO-DPMNE party backed Siljanovska, the first woman to run for president in the country. .

Gordana Siljanovska Davkova, a presidential candidate for the opposition conservative VMRO-DPMNE party, talks to the media outside a polling station, after voting in the presidential elections, in Skopje, North Macedonia, Sunday, April 21, 2019. North Macedonia holds the first round of presidential elections on Sunday, seen as key test of the government following deep polarization after the country changed its name to end a decades-old dispute with neighboring Greece over the use of the term "Macedonia". (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)

Blerim Reka, a candidate supported by two small ethnic Albanian political parties, had 12.3% of the early returns.

Polls opened early Sunday in North Macedonia for a presidential election seen as a key test for the government following the country's changing its name to end a decades-old dispute with neighboring Greece over the use of the term "Macedonia".

More than 3,400 polling stations opened at 7 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) and will close at 7 p.m. (1700GMT).

Three university professors are vying for the largely ceremonial presidency post.

Gordana Siljanovska Davkova is backed by the main conservative opposition VMRO-DPMNE party, Stevo Pendarovski is a joint candidate of the ruling Social Democrats and 30 smaller parties, while Blerim Reka is supported by two small ethnic Albanian parties.

A candidate needs 50% plus one vote of the 1.8 million registered voters to win outright in the first round.

A couple cast their ballots for the presidential election at a polling station in Skopje, North Macedonia, Sunday, April 21, 2019. Polls were opened early on Sunday in North Macedonia for presidential elections seen as key test of the government following deep polarization after the country changed its name to end a decades-old dispute with neighboring Greece over the use of the term "Macedonia". (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)

Stevo Pendarovski, presidential candidate of the ruling coalition led by the Social Democrats, talks to the media outside a polling station after voting in the presidential election in Skopje, North Macedonia, Sunday, April 21, 2019. North Macedonia holds the first round of presidential elections on Sunday, seen as key test of the government following deep polarization after the country changed its name to end a decades-old dispute with neighboring Greece over the use of the term "Macedonia". (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)
Voters in North Macedonia head to the polls for the second round of the 2019 presidential election. Stevo Pendarovski of the Social Democratic Union of Macedonia wins over his opponent Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova.