Fernandez, a powerful senator who has harnessed husband Nestor Kirchner’s achievements in bringing Argentina back from a $100 billion debt default, won the support of many Argentines despite offering few original proposals and is hoping to become her country’s first elected woman president.

Her closest challengers, former lawmaker Elisa Carrio and former Economy Minister Roberto Lavagna, were trying to force her into a November 25 runoff, but all major polls showed her getting the 40 percent — with a lead of more than 10 percent — she needs to win outright.

Argentina’s 27.1 million registered voters, who are required by law to cast ballots, were also filling dozens of House and Senate seats and nine governorships, including the post in powerful Buenos Aires province where 40 percent of the electorate resides.

Lines formed early in some areas of the capital as voting opened peacefully at more than 12,700 polling stations nationwide, the balloting taking place under sunny skies in most of Argentina.

Challenges ahead
The next president, who begins a four-year term on December 10, faces challenges including high inflation, an energy shortage and rampant crime. And the legacy of the economic crisis can still be seen in high unemployment and widespread poverty in a country that a century ago ranked among the world's 10 richest.

Fernandez refused to debate and spent much of the campaign abroad in photo-ops with world leaders. Her chic European dresses and designer bags drew comparisons with ‘Evita’ Peron, another fashion-conscious and politically influential Argentine first lady.

She has also been compared to Senator Hillary Clinton, who like Fernandez is a lawyer and senator who soldiered alongside a husband as he rose from small-state governor to his nation’s presidency.

Fernandez rejected both comparisons. “I don’t want to be compared with Hillary Clinton or with Evita Peron, or with anybody,” she said recently. “There’s nothing better than being yourself.”

Fernandez flew Friday night to Kirchner's home province of Santa Cruz, where he was a three-term governor.