Polls have closed in Venezuela’s presidential election as incumbent Nicolas Maduro faces his toughest electoral battle, amid an ongoing economic crisis, since he came to power 11 years ago.

Nearly 21 million people were registered to vote on Sunday, with a reinvigorated opposition trying to end the 25-year rule of the United Socialist Party with a promise to halt the decade-long economic crisis that has forced seven million people to emigrate.

Polls closed at 6pm local time (22:00 GMT) and the results could be published late on Sunday night or in the following days.

“I’ve been here since 5am I came to vote for change, for a new Venezuela, which will be reborn and because I’m a public worker, we need change to be able to have a dignified salary,” Tibisay Aguirre, a 57-year-old cook waiting in line in Maracay in the central state of Aragua told Reuters news agency.

Authorities set Sunday’s election to coincide with what would have been the 70th birthday of former President Hugo Chavez, the revered leftist leader who died of cancer in 2013.

Maduro, 61, who took over after Chavez’s death, is seeking a third term in office.

He is facing off against an opposition that has managed to line up behind a single candidate after years of intraparty divisions and election boycotts that torpedoed their ambitions to topple the governing party.

Maduro’s main challenger is 74-year-old Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who was declared opposition bloc candidate after the main opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was banned from holding public office.

The opposition candidate expressed satisfaction with the “massive presence” of Venezuelans lined up since late Saturday night and Sunday morning at voting centres.

“Today, more than ever, Venezuelans are demonstrating that we are one people. What we see are lines of joy and hope. Today begins a day of reconciliation for all Venezuelans,” Gonzalez said after casting his vote.

“The democratic spirit of Venezuelans is more alive than ever, it’s time for change,” added the ex-diplomat.

If victorious, Gonzalez promised to create conditions for millions of Venezuelans to return to their home country after fleeing compounding crises.

“We do not want more Venezuelans leaving the country, and for those who have left I tell them we will do everything possible for them to come back and welcome them with open arms,” he said.

The opposition and observers have questioned whether the vote will be fair, saying decisions by electoral authorities and the arrests of opposition staff were meant to create obstacles.

After voting ended, Machado urged voters to remain at their polling stations to verify the counting process in the “decisive hours” after closing.

She reminded voters the process was legally meant to be public, and called on “all Venezuelans to remain at their polling stations… keeping vigil” amid fears the incumbents might try to steal the election.

Maduro, who had previously warned of a “bloodbath” if he loses, said on Sunday he would “make sure” the final result from the regime-aligned CNE electoral authority was “defended”.

His 2018 re-election was considered fraudulent by the United States and rejected by many other Western and Latin American countries.

Maduro’s government has presided over an economic collapse, the migration of about a third of the population, and a sharp deterioration in diplomatic relations. Sanctions imposed by the US, the European Union and others have crippled its already struggling oil industry.

Maduro has said he will guarantee peace and economic growth, making Venezuela less dependent on oil income. He also said he would recognise the result of the presidential election and urged other candidates to publicly declare the same.

After casting his vote on Sunday, Maduro said “no one is going to create chaos in Venezuela”.

“I recognise and will recognise the electoral referee, the official announcements,” and that he would make sure the result was recognised.

He called on the other nine candidates “to respect, to make respected and to declare publicly that they will respect the official announcement” of the winner.