Voters in Colombia head to the polls Sunday for regional elections under the watchful eye of thousands of military police officers.
An estimated 130,000 candidates are vying for 13,000 posts, including governors, mayors, assemblymen, council members and various municipal boards.
In an effort to prevent violence, President Juan Manuel Santos has deployed 300,000 troops for the safety of voters and candidates.
The Independent Electoral Observation Mission (IEOM) - an independent watchdog group - says 41 candidates have been killed this year during the campaign leading up to Sunday's vote, and scores have received death threats.
The IEOM has deployed observers to more than 1,100 polling stations to monitor the integrity of vote.
Some 30 million Colombians have registered to vote in Sunday's election.
Colombia Holds Municipal Elections
![A voter searches for his name in an electoral list at a voting station in Bogota (file photo)](https://gdb.voanews.com/345843c9-271f-4806-866e-74b790b5e6d9_w250_r1_s.jpg)