The Latest: Finland's president wins landslide re-election

Posted: Updated:
(Jussi Nukari/Lehtikuva via AP). The independent presidential candidate Sauli Niinisto at his election reception in Helsinki, Finland, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018. Finns were casting ballots in a presidential election, with incumbent Sauli Niinisto consider... (Jussi Nukari/Lehtikuva via AP). The independent presidential candidate Sauli Niinisto at his election reception in Helsinki, Finland, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018. Finns were casting ballots in a presidential election, with incumbent Sauli Niinisto consider...
(Heikki Saukkomaa/Lehtikuva via AP). Green Party's presidential candidate Pekka Haavisto, right, and his partner Antonio Flores arrive to cast their votes for the presidential elections in Helsinki, Finland, Sunday Jan. 28, 2018. Finns are casting ball... (Heikki Saukkomaa/Lehtikuva via AP). Green Party's presidential candidate Pekka Haavisto, right, and his partner Antonio Flores arrive to cast their votes for the presidential elections in Helsinki, Finland, Sunday Jan. 28, 2018. Finns are casting ball...
(Heikki Saukkomaa/Lehtikuva via AP). People wait to vote during the presidential election at the Helsinki City Hall in Helsinki, Finland, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018. Finns are voting for a new president in the election that's expected to see the highly popu... (Heikki Saukkomaa/Lehtikuva via AP). People wait to vote during the presidential election at the Helsinki City Hall in Helsinki, Finland, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018. Finns are voting for a new president in the election that's expected to see the highly popu...
(Heikki Saukkomaa/Lehtikuva via AP). Campaign posters of Finnish presidential candidates are displayed in front of the presidential palace in Helsinki, Finland, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018. Finns are voting for a new president in the election that's expected... (Heikki Saukkomaa/Lehtikuva via AP). Campaign posters of Finnish presidential candidates are displayed in front of the presidential palace in Helsinki, Finland, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018. Finns are voting for a new president in the election that's expected...
(Vesa Moilanen/Lehtikuva via AP). The Green Party's candidate Pekka Haavisto attends an election night rally in House of the Estates in Helsinki, Finland, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018. Finns were casting ballots in a presidential election, with incumbent Sau... (Vesa Moilanen/Lehtikuva via AP). The Green Party's candidate Pekka Haavisto attends an election night rally in House of the Estates in Helsinki, Finland, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018. Finns were casting ballots in a presidential election, with incumbent Sau...

HELSINKI (AP) - The Latest on the presidential election in Finland (all times local):

10:30 p.m.

Finnish President Sauli Niinisto has been re-elected in a landslide victory that saw him receiving 62.7 percent of the vote.

With all the ballots from Sunday's presidential election tallied, Niinisto's closest competitor, Pekka Haavisto of the Greens, had 12.4 percent.

The 69-year-old Niinisto needed a majority to win a second, six-year term without a runoff. Besides Haavisto, none of the other six challengers received more than 7 percent support.

Niinisto, a former finance minister and parliament speaker, has been a highly popular president since he took office in 2012.

___

8:45 p.m.

Finland's incumbent president is barreling toward another six years in office with nearly 60 percent of ballots counted in the Nordic country's election.

President Sauli Niinisto was winning with 63.8 percent of the votes cast Sunday. His closest rival, Pekka Haavisto of the Greens, had 10.9 percent.

None of the other six candidates had received more than 7 percent.

Niinisto needs a majority to prevent a runoff and to win re-election outright.

Haavisto has conceded Niinisto's victory. He told Finnish national broadcaster YLE that Niinisto "is the republic's new president with this result."

Niinisto, a former finance minister and parliament speaker, has been a highly popular president since he took office in 2012.

He ran as an independent with no association to the conservative National Coalition Party that he earlier chaired.

____

9:50 a.m.

Finns are casting ballots in a presidential election, with incumbent Sauli Niinisto considered the favorite to win the first round of voting in the Nordic nation.

Recent polls predict the 69-year-old Niinisto will get between 58 and 63 percent of the vote while his closest rival, Pekka Haavisto of the Greens, would garner some 14 percent.

If none of the eight candidates running Sunday achieves a majority, the top two will face each other in a Feb. 11 runoff. The post has a six-year term.

Niinisto, a former finance minister and parliament speaker, has been very popular since taking office in 2012. He is running as an independent with no association to the conservative National Coalition Party that he earlier chaired.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.