Voting proceeded without incidents at Brazil's estimated 450,000 polling stations. Casting a ballot is obligatory for literate voters between 18 and 70 years of age. The voting system is fully automated, with electronic fingerprint identification and digital transmission of results. As a result, the initial results will be known three hours after the polls close. In contrast, in the 1989 presidential elections it took nine days before the final results were announced. Stephanie Kennedy reports from Rio de Janeiro. teleSUR
