(CNN) -- Voters in Belarus head to the polls Sunday to cast their ballots in presidential elections.
The race will determine the political fate of Alexander Lukashenka, regarded as "the last dictator in Europe" by U.S. lawmakers.
Lukashenka, who has been in office since 1994, is running against nine other candidates, according to the Central Election Commission.
National polls show that he enjoys wide support of the electorate.
Andrei Sannikov, a former diplomat who wants to see Belarus as a member of the European Union, is one of the main opposition leaders. The two others are Yaroslav Romanchuk and Vladimir Neklyaev.
Economist Romanchuk, a candidate from the United Civil Party, has been prolific in publicizing his views on economic reforms.
Lukashenka's other opponent, Neklyaev, runs a social campaign "Tell the Truth!" He was arrested for participating in public protests earlier this year and later released.
According to the electoral commission, the official election day is December 19, but early voting was held between Tuesday and Saturday for voters unable to go to the polls Sunday.
Preliminary results show that at least 10 percent of eligible voters cast their votes in the early elections.
On December 4, state television broadcast live pre-election debates for the first time since the 1994 presidential race. Lukashenka and Neklyaev chose not to participate.
The contestants were also allowed two half-an-hour slots on the prime-time national television to address the Belarusians, according to a news release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. All candidates except for Lukashenka used this opportunity during the campaign.
Legislation of Belarus allows presidential candidates to campaign up until the day before the elections. However, during the Sunday elections, all public events have been banned, said official news agency BelTa. CNN
