People in the Philippines have gone to the polls to elect a new president, vice-president and some 17,000 other government officials.
Around 85% of eligible voters are expected to turn out over the day, after three months of intensive campaigning by the candidates.
But there are concerns that the violence or electoral fraud which have marred previous elections could damage the results of the polls.
Among the front runners is property tycoon Manny Villar, whose campaign has focused on his humble background.
Also running is the former movie star and deposed ex-president Joseph Estrada, who spent time in jail for corruption but was later pardoned, and remains popular among the poor.
Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino, son of the popular late president Corazon "Cory" Aquino, has led the opinion polls during campaigning, but some critics say he lacks the charisma of his rivals.
The new president will replace Gloria Arroyo, who is standing down at the end of her second term in office but is running for a seat in parliament.
In the run-up to polling day there were concerns that the new automated voting machines brought in to handle the complex election were not working properly.
Glitches with the machines led to long queues forming outside polling stations - officials extended the voting period by an hour to accommodate the delays.
Security was high at polling stations in an attempt to prevent the violence that has accompanied Philippines' elections in the past, but at least six people were reported to have been killed in attacks across the country.
Fighting corruption and dealing with the economy have been central themes of the election, in a country where about one third of people live in poverty.
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