The future head of state in Lithuania will be decided in a run-off election in a fortnight, after Sunday's poll didn't produce a conclusive victor.
In the first round of the presidential election, the 59-year-old incumbent Gitanas Nausėda had been the clear favourite in the race for the highest office in the Baltic EU and NATO member state, which borders the Russian Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad and Russia's ally Belarus.
Seven candidates ran against the independent politician, among whom current Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė was the only woman.
Nausėda achieved around 44% after almost all votes had been counted - and thus missed out on an absolute majority.
Šimonytė came second with just over 19%, the election commission in Vilnius said early on Monday.
Both will now go into the run-off vote on May 26.
Nausėda and Šimonytė had already run against each other in the previous presidential election five years ago.
Nausėda has made a name for himself as a resolute supporter of Ukraine in its defence against Russia's invasion. Polls before the direct election showed him as the favourite.
Nausėda has been at the helm of the largest Baltic state since 2019. The election campaign centred on the war in Ukraine and its impact on national security, as well as social policy issues.
Just under 2.4 million people were eligible to vote. According to the election commission in Vilnius, the turnout was over 59% - the highest figure in the first round of the presidential election since 1997.
A referendum on the introduction of dual citizenship was held at the same time as the vote.
In Lithuania, the head of state primarily has representative duties. Compared to the German Federal president, however, the president has more extensive powers in foreign and defence policy. The president is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces.