Poll stations for the Mexican presidential election closed at 6:00 p.m. local time (2300 GMT) Sunday as exit polls have pointed to a resounding victory for Enrique Pena Nieto from the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).

Exit polls carried out by two TV stations showed Nieto had comfortably won the elections, easily defeating second-placed Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador from the Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD).

Meanwhile, Nieto's campaign manager Luis Videgaray also told Mexican TV that Nieto has won the vote by a wide margin.

The Federal Electoral Institute (IFE) is expected to announce the initial results at 11:45 p.m. Sunday (0445 GMT Monday).

Nearly 60 percent of Mexico's 80 million eligible voters were expected to participate in the elections to choose a president, as well as six state governors, the mayor of the capital of Mexico City, 500 deputies and 128 senators.

The IFE reported that voting had progressed "normally" at 99.78 percent of the 143,132 voting stations throughout the country but some 600 stations failed to open.

Despite some minor incidents, voting around the country was relatively calm.

In northern hotspots, such as Nuevo Laredo, navy and army troops were dispatched to patrol the streets and guarantee voters' safety.

There is no second round of voting and no minimum percentage is required for an outright win in the Mexican presidential vote.