Kosovo is holding municipal elections in a challenging test for its center-right governing coalition, which has focused its efforts on capturing City Hall in the capital of Pristina.

About 1.9 million voters were casting ballots Sunday to elect mayors for 38 municipalities and some 1,000 town hall lawmakers. Runoffs may take place a month later.

The four governing political parties will separately battle the right-wing Democratic League of Kosovo and especially the left-wing Self-Determination Party, the biggest opposition party in the parliament which also now runs Pristina.

Voting closes at 1700 GMT (3 p.m. EDT Sunday) and preliminary results may be expected by midnight.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008 but Serbia doesn't recognize the move.