Romania presidential vote tied after first round, partial results show

Romanian Social Democrat Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and hard-right independent Calin Georgescu were tied after the first round of a presidential election on Sunday, with roughly 80 per cent of the votes counted, electoral bureau data showed.

Ciolacu and Georgescu each had about 22.1 per cent and could face each other in a December 8 run-off.

However, with results from large cities and those of Romanians abroad likely to be counted last, the final list of candidates to make it into the second round could change, analysts said.

Centre-right candidate Elena Lasconi, 52, was on 18 per cent in exit polls, followed closely by two hard-right candidates, Calin Georgescu, 62, and George Simion, 38, on 16 per cent and 15 per cent respectively.