Voting starts in Ukraine’s presidential runoff

By Ali Cura

KIEV (AA) - Ukrainians began to cast ballots on Sunday in presidential election, where incumbent President Petro Poroshenko and comedian Vladimir Zelenskiy face each other in a runoff.

In the first round of the presidential polls held on Mar. 31, Poroshenko and Zelenskiy, according to official figures, became the top two candidates by getting 15.95 and 30.24 of votes, respectively.

Since no candidate surpassed 50% threshold, the nation’s next president will be chosen in today’s runoff.

Some 30 million voters are expected to cast ballots whereas about five million people living in Donbas, and Crimea -- annexed by Russia -- will not be able to vote.

According to the final public survey, comedian Zelenskiy is expected to win the presidential elections.

The survey conducted by Ukraine's Rating Group, Zelenskiy is expected to get 73% of the votes whereas Poroshenko stands at 27%.

According to the country’s election law, the official results of the polls will be announced by May 1.