The Latest: Austrian Greens candidate ahead in absentee vote

Alexander Van der Bellen candidate of the Austrian Greens, left, shakes hands with Norbert Hofer, candidate for president of Austria's Freedom Party, FPOE, during the release of the election results of the Austria presidential elections in Vienna, Austria, Sunday, May 22, 2016. Nearly final results for Austria's presidential election Sunday showed a right-wing politician neck-to-neck race with a challenger whose views stand in direct opposition to his rival's anti-immigrant and Eurosceptic message. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak) (The Associated Press)

FILE - In this May 22, 2016 file picture Norbert Hofer presidential candidate for Austria's Freedom Party, FPOE, waves during an election party in Vienna, Austria. The right-wing candidate in Austria's presidential election has acknowledged defeat to a left-leaning rival, in a Facebook post thanking his backers for their support Monday May 23, 2016. . (AP Photo/Ronald Zak, filr) (The Associated Press)

The Latest on Austria's presidential election (all times local):

4:20 p.m.

A left-leaning candidate is ahead of his right-wing Euroskeptic rival in a count of absentee ballots for the Austrian presidency, but it is still not clear who is the overall victor.

Direct votes Sunday without the count of about 700,000 absentee ballots gave Norbert Hofer of the right-wing, Euroskeptic Freedom Party 51.9 percent while Alexander Van der Bellen, a Greens politician running as an independent, got 48.1 percent.

Projections after polls closed Sunday gave Van der Bellen a slight lead, including those absentee ballots. A final result, including all votes, is expected later Monday, with the Interior Ministry announcing a total count.

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10:30 a.m.

A Eurosceptic, anti-immigration right-winger and his left-leaning rival are neck and neck in Austria's presidential election a day after polls closed, and officials are now counting absentee ballots to determine who will win.

Direct votes Sunday gave right-winger Norbert Hofer 51.9 percent to 48.1 percent for Alexander Van der Bellen, a Greens politician running as an independent. But final projections that include still-to-be-counted absentee ballots put each at 50 percent with Van der Bellen narrowly ahead.

About 700,000 absentee ballots — close to a sixth of total votes cast — are slated to be counted by Monday evening for a final tally.

Whoever wins, Sunday's voting has revealed a profound split over which direction the nation should now take, particularly over migration and the future of the European Union.