Zoran Milanovic is in the lead in the Croatia election with 50.11% of the vote, the CEC reports as 51.61% of stations have processed ballots.
Milanovic's main opponent, Dragan Primorac, has 22.33%, while six other candidates have less than 10% each, the CEC also said.
Milanovic, an outspoken politician known for his ongoing conflict with Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party, is running for a second term against HDZ-endorsed Primorac.
Milanovic is considered a favorite, but is still unlikely to secure a clear win in the first round. Should no candidate win more than 50% of the votes, a runoff will be held on January 12.