Bucharest, May 19 : Preliminary exit polls showed that Nicusor Dan, the mayor of Bucharest, holds a lead over his rival George Simion in Romania's presidential runoff.

According to an exit poll conducted by the AVANGARDE Socio-Behavioral Studies Group, Dan, an independent candidate, secured 54.9 per cent of the vote, while Simion, the head of the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), received 45.1 per cent, Xinhua news agency reported.

A separate exit poll conducted by the Center for Urban and Regional Sociology (CURS) showed a similar outcome. Dan garnered 54.1 per cent, compared to 45.9 per cent for Simion.

Both exit polls only covered polling stations within Romania. Over 1.64 million Romanian citizens cast their ballots from abroad by 9:00 p.m., according to real-time data from the Permanent Electoral Authority.

Sunday's vote marked the second round of a re-run election, following the annulment of the 2024 presidential results due to alleged campaign irregularities and foreign interference.

Simion, 38, led in the first round held earlier this month, winning 40.96 per cent of the vote compared to Dan's 20.99 per cent.

A staunch critic of the European Union, Simion has campaigned on a "Romania First" platform, pledging to halt military aid to Ukraine, implement tax cuts, and push for deregulation. Dan, 55, has presented himself as a pro-European reformer.

Under Romania's constitution, the president wields significant authority in foreign affairs, defence, and judicial appointments, including the power to nominate the prime minister.

Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. local time (0400 GMT) and closed at 9 p.m. (1800 GMT). Preliminary results are expected late Sunday night or early Monday.

/IANS