Slovakia votes for a successor to the nation’s first female president. An April 6 runoff is expected

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Voters in Slovakia are electing a successor to Zuzana Čaputová. She is the country’s first female president and a staunch backer of neighboring Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s full-scale invasion. Čaputová isn’t seeking a second term. Peter Pellegrini is considered a favorite in the race for the largely ceremonial post. He’s a close ally of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico. Pellegrini leads a field of nine candidates in the first round of the presidential election. No candidate is expected to get a majority. So the top two finishers will advance to a runoff on April 6.