Subscribe to one of our news e-mail lists . Voters will cast ballots Sunday in a presidential election that has drawn protests from international observers even though it will end 10 months of military rule.
First results are likely overnight.
The race in this West African nation pits current military ruler Gen. Robert Guei against four civilian candidates. They include opposition leader Laurent Gbagbo, a veteran socialist, who is considered the only serious candidate challenging Guei. The Supreme Court had prohibited several other candidates from running, including those from the two largest political parties. As a result, those parties have called for an election boycott, fueling speculation about how big Sunday's turnout will be. To protest Guei's decision to run and the exclusion of major opponents, the United Nations, the Organization of African Unity, the European Union and countries such as the United States and Canada have withdrawn election observers or funding.