Polls open in Argentina vote for next president

Polling stations opened and Argentines began voting for their next president Sunday, in an election that will bring an end to 12 years under power couple Nestor and Cristina Kirchner.

Their heir apparent, Buenos Aires provincial governor Daniel Scioli, is poised to come out on top, polling ahead of rival and Buenos Aires Mayor Mauricio Macri.

Scioli is aiming to win outright Sunday. Under Argentine electoral law, in order to win in a first-round presidential vote, a candidate must claim more than 45 percent of the vote, or at least 40 percent with a margin of 10 points over the runner-up.

Polling stations will remain open until 6:00 pm (2100 GMT), and results are expected to begin coming out three hours later.