The Indonesian election will see more than 200 million head to the polls. Here’s what you need to know

CNN —

More than 200 million eligible voters will head to the polls in Indonesia on Wednesday, in what is billed as the world’s biggest single-day election.

The sprawling Southeast Asian nation, the world’s third-largest electoral democracy and largest Muslim-majority country, has made impressive gains since the fall of the late dictator Suharto’s authoritarian regime in 1998 – morphing into one of Asia’s most vibrant democracies and economies.

Hosting a vote in the world’s largest archipelagic nation is a huge effort. The country is wider than the United States and straddles three time zones. It is made up of over 18,000 islands and islets, of which 6,000 are inhabited, and over 150 languages spoken across its breadth.

The campaign has been dominated by big personalities in a decisive election that will also select some 20,000 other national and provincial lawmakers.

Younger Indonesians are key, with around half of registered voters being under the age of 40, according to the General Election Commission.

Job opportunities are top of mind for many voters, with presidential hopefuls vowing to propel the country’s economic growth fueled by rich natural resources and trade opportunities. But climate change and illegal logging challenge Indonesia’s sustainable future.

Here’s what to expect.

The presidential candidates

The race is a three-way contest between a former army general and two former governors.

Prabowo Subianto, 72, a former military general and incumbent defense minister, is running for president for a third time, and he’s leading the polls.

Prabowo is the former son-in-law of the late dictator Suharto and his controversial background hasn’t dented his popularity, as experts warn dynastic politics is