BREAKING NEWS

Two killed in violence in Mexico as country set to elect first Jewish woman president

Two people were killed in violent incidents at polling centers on Sunday amid Mexico's historic election expected to make leftist Claudia Sheinbaum - who is also Jewish -  the ruling party candidate, the country's first woman president.

Voting was suspended at one polling center after a person was killed in a shooting in Coyomeapan, a town in the state of Puebla, the state electoral authority said. It later confirmed another death at a polling station in Tlapanala, also in Puebla.

Mexico's largest-ever elections have also been the most violent in modern history, with the killing of 38 candidates. The deadly violence has stoked concerns about the threat of warring drug cartels to democracy.

Sheinbaum, who has led in opinion polls over her main competitor Xochitl Galvez, will be tasked with confronting organized crime violence if elected.

According to later reports, Mexican ruling party's candidate Claudia Sheinbaum was on course for a victory in the presidential race, Parametria's exit poll showed on Sunday. Sheinbaum won 56% of the vote while her closest opponent Xochitl Galvez polled at 30%, the exit poll showed.