Key issues for voters include fighting corruption and creating jobs for young people.
Mauritanians are voting in the presidential election, with incumbent Mohamed Ould Ghazouani seeking a second term against six challengers in the West African desert country.
About 2 million people were registered to vote on Saturday in the country of 4.5 million people.
Ghazouani, 67, a former military officer, has promised to boost investment to spur a commodity boom and further economic growth in Mauritania, where many people live in poverty despite being rich in fossil fuels and minerals.
Ghazouani, who was elected to his first term in 2019, is widely expected to win due to the dominance of his ruling El-Insaf (Equity) party.
His opponents include abolitionist Biram Ould Dar Ould Abeid, who came in second in 2019 with more than 18% of the vote, lawyer El Id Mohammedan Mubarek and neurosurgeon Outma Antoine Souleymane Smare.
Also running in the race are economist Mohamed Remine El Moortej El Wafi, Mamadou Bokar Ba of the Alliance for Justice and Democracy movement, which represents mainly black Mauritanians, and Hamadi Sidi Mokhtar Mohamed Abdi of the conservative Tawassoul party, the main opposition party with the second-most seats after El Insaf.
If re-elected, Ghazwani has pledged to build the Greater Tort-e-Ameyim (GTA) offshore gas-fired power plant, which is due to start production by the end of the year, as well as invest in renewable energy and expand mining of gold, uranium and iron ore.
Relative Stability
Ghazouani has presided over a period of relative stability since 2019 as Mauritania's Sahelian neighbours, including Mali, have been plagued by violence following the rise of armed groups leading to military coups.
Mauritania has not recorded any attacks in the country in recent years, and Ghazouani, who currently chairs the African Union, has pledged to manage the threat from such groups.
Abeid, a prominent activist, has challenged Ghazouani over his record of human rights abuses and the marginalization of Mauritania's black African population, while Abdi has garnered support among conservative and religious supporters.
If neither candidate receives more than 50% of the votes, a runoff election will be held.
One opposition supporter in the capital, Nouakchott, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, believed it may be difficult for Ghazwani to win “if the vote is held transparently”.
In the last election, some opposition candidates questioned the credibility of the results, sparking small-scale protests.
Polls are scheduled to open at 7am and close at 7pm.
