SOFIA, Bulgaria -- Bulgarians went to the polls in a presidential election with gas masks and protective gloves distributed to poll workers in case of an anthrax threat.
So far all anthrax mail scares in the former communist country have turned out to be hoaxes and voter apathy seemed the biggest threat to incumbent reformist President Petar Stoyanov.
The pro-NATO, pro-EU leader is clear favourite of six candidates but was hoping for a sweeping first-round victory to give him a clear mandate for a second five-year term.
A first-round win could be at risk, however, with early reports of slow voting reflecting voter apathy in one of the poorest NATO and EU candidate states.
According to final opinion polls, the charismatic reformist Stoyanov may be forced into a run-off either with former Interior Minister Bogomil Bonev or Socialist Party leader Georgi Parvanov who have been running neck-and-neck for second place.
The latest opinion polls gave the 48-year-old president between 43 and 54 percent of the vote. Bonev was on 17 to 27.5 percent and ex-communist Parvanov on 19 to 24 percent.
If turnout is below 50 percent, or if Stoyanov fails to win over 50 percent of ballots cast, there will be a second round of voting on November 1.
Ex-lawyer Stoyanov is backed by Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg, the ex-king who became prime minister after a historic victory in parliamentary elections in June.
Corruption drive pledge
Voting began at 6:00 a.m. (0400 GMT). Stoyanov, casting his ballot in the capital Sofia on a grey, dull morning, said he hoped people would turn up later in the day.
"I am hoping that about lunch time, after that, the electoral activity will go up. I sincerely hope that by the end of the day, turnout will be similar to previous polls," he said.
Early media and eyewitness reports from polling stations said turnout was far below June's parliamentary polls.
"I will not vote today because I am not going to vote for hunger," Alexander Dimitrov, 62, a pensioner, told Reuters.
"My pension is 40 levs ($18) and I give 20 for medicines each month. We are starving. The election will not change anything, so I am not going to vote."
In June, people flocked to back a new movement led by former King Simeon, believing his promises to radically improve living standards within 800 days and root out corruption.
But five months later, hopes have faded.
The presidential campaign pitting Stoyanov against five other contenders was marred by charges of corruption, further alienating voters from the political establishment.
"I was disappointed by the candidates' behaviour and actions during the election campaign and will not vote, said Vasil Georgiev, a 46-year-old engineer told Reuters.
The president has limited powers in the parliamentary republic but is its public face abroad, and will be pivotal in helping Bulgaria meet its targets of winning an invitation next year to join NATO and joining the EU by 2006.
Official partial results were expected late on Sunday or in the early hours of Monday.
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