From black-clad nuns to beach-bound youths on scooters, Italians voted in a general election today to decide if tycoon Mr Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right bloc or Mr Francesco Rutelli's centre-left group will rule the country.
Early indications of a high turnout dispelled concerns that many Italians would not vote. Voting began at 6:30 a.m. (0430 GMT) and was to end at 10 p.m. (2000 GMT).
Turnout was lower in Rome and the south of the country, though, as thousands of voters headed for beaches on a glorious spring day and were not expected to vote until dusk.
The Interior Ministry said by midday (1000 GMT) more than a fifth of eligible Italians had cast ballots. By mid-afternoon, it said it was providing extra voting booths in Rome and Naples to try to cut down the queues.
Many, including prime ministerial hopefuls Mr Berlusconi and Mr Rutelli - a former mayor of Rome - had to queue for over half an hour to vote. But both were in confident mood after fighting one of the bitterest campaigns Italy has seen for decades.
"It seems to be the destiny of Italians to wait in line," Mr Berlusconi said before voting in Milan."But with my new projects for the civil service it'll be possible to do all this from home."
Mr Rutelli joked with fellow voters in the Rome suburb of EUR as he and his wife queued."We said many words in this election campaign. Now the Italians have the last word," he said.
Italians were not voting directly for Mr Rutelli orMr Berlusconi, but casting their ballots for candidates in the 630-seat lower house Chamber of Deputies and the 315-seat Senate.
Some 49.4 million people were eligible to vote for the Chamber, and 41 million for the Senate, where the minimum age to vote is 21 as opposed to 18 for the Chamber.
Overall results were expected early on Monday.
The vote caps a US-style campaign built around personalities - the billionaire media tycoon Berlusconi (64) and the handsome telegenic Mr Rutelli, (46). The election has also raised controversy at home and abroad about how Mr Berlusconi can reconcile his political and financial interests.
The last permitted opinion polls gave the centre right a four-point lead. But some analysts say neither bloc may win outright control of both houses of parliament, leaving them fishing for outside support.
Another possibility in case of an indecisive result is that President Carlo Mr Azeglio Ciampi could call for creation of a temporary government of technocrats.