Thailand Election

Bangkok (CNN) -- Thais began casting votes Sunday in a general election that many hope will bring an end to years of unrest between two political factions that climaxed last year with protests that turned deadly.

Squaring off against incumbent Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva of the Democratic Party is Pheu Thai party leader Yingluck Shinawatra, the sister of billionaire Thaksin Shinawatra who was ousted as prime minister in a 2006 military coup.

Tensions between the Democratic Party and the Pheu Thai party, which reflect deep divisions within Thai society, erupted last year, with protests against Abhisit's government leading to a military crackdown. More than 90 people were killed and hundreds were injured.

After the riots, the Thai government pledged to work toward a process of national reconciliation to heal class and political divisions, though the divide between the two groups remains wide.

Polls opened at 8 a.m. (9 p.m. ET Saturday) and state TV broadcast images of long lines at polling stations, where Thais were waiting to cast a ballot. The polls close at 4 a.m ET Sunday.

There are 40 parties competing to fill the office of prime minister and 500 seats in the House of Representatives, according to the Thai Election Commission website. There are 1.2 million election workers and more than 94,000 polling stations for the country's estimated 47 million eligible voters to cast ballots, the website said.

Who wins Sunday's vote is far less important geopolitically than whether or not the results are accepted, according to Ernest Bower, Southeast Asia program director for the Center for Strategic & International Studies.