The Palestinian voting process that started early Wednesday ended at 7:00 p.m. (1700 GMT),Palestinian Central Election Commission (CEC) said Wednesday evening.

However, the casting vote in East Jerusalem was extended for another two hours, due to the fact that some citizens were not able to reach polling stations because of the Israeli checkpoints and other security measures.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians went to polling stations early on Wednesday all over the Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, to elect 132 legislators, in a new Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC).

According to the law, the PLC term will be four years, and another round of legislative election should be held in January2010, unless some political changes happen on the ground.All voting stations were opened together at the same time allover the Palestinian territories at 7:00 a.m.(0500 GMT).There 1.431 million Palestinians, who have the right to vote,are voting at 1008 voting centers that have 2721 voting stations in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.

There were 728 candidates running in the election, including414 who are running in the districts, or the constituencies, while the other 314 are running in lists, following the proportional system. A total of 66 PLC members should be elected in each system.

Local radio stations reported the turnout in the cast voting all over the Palestinian territories had reached 70 percent, and unofficial results would be announced before midnight.Palestinians in the Gaza Strip said that competition was very fierce among candidates, mainly between the two rival movements,the ruling Fatah and radical Hamas.

The official results of the election are expected to be announced on Thursday, according to local radio stations in Gaza.Concerned official Hazem Ba'lousha said that as soon as the ballots and the polling stations were closed down before the voters and before the candidates, the CEC employees as well as foreign observers started counting the votes.

He said that the employees would spend the coming hours counting the votes, adding that as soon as the counting of the votes ends, the results would be announced.