Georgians voted in municipal elections across the country that were seen as a test for the strength of the ruling party and which opposition parties hoped could lead to an early national election.

The vote Saturday came a day after the arrest of exiled former president Mikheil Saakashvili, who had returned to the country to try to bolster opposition support despite facing prison on convictions for abuse of power that were declared after he left Georgia.

Opinion polls showed more than half the electorate in the former Soviet republic were undecided ahead of the election in which the ruling Georgian Dream party and the United National Movement founded by Saakashvili are the main contenders.

No results had been announced two hours after the polls closed. Official full results are expected on Sunday.

A strong performance by the opposition could raise tensions if Georgians expect that to bring an early national election.