Updated

Polling stations are largely calm and orderly as voters in the Dominican Republic choose a new president.

There were no reports of major problems though several voters in one district of the capital told The Associated Press that backers of ruling party candidate Danilo Medina were offering people payments of $13 to vote for their candidate or to withhold their vote for his opponent. Organizers of the Medina campaign denied the allegations.

Medina is hoping to succeed President Leonel Fernandez, who spent billions on such major infrastructure projects as a subway system, hospitals and roads. His main opponent is Hipolito Mejia, a brash former president whose term ended in 2004 with a deep economic crisis brought on by the collapse of three banks. Preliminary results were expected late Sunday.