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Overwhelming participation in Afghan elections.
Overwhelming participation in Afghan elections.
Gandhara

Live Blog: Afghanistan's Historic Elections

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Gandhara is live blogging Afghanistan's historic elections today (Saturday, April 5). We have eyewitness accounts, reports, and analysis from 50 Radio Free Afghanistan and Radio Mashaal correspondents across Afghanistan. In addition, we are posting photographs, videos, and updates from citizen journalists across Afghanistan's 34 provinces.

- Among the eight candidates, the frontrunners are former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani and two former foreign ministers, Abdullah Abdullah and Zalmai Rasul.

- Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. and are slated to close at 4 p.m. local time, but some could remain open for two hours longer, depending on the number of voters.

- Preliminary results from the first round are not expected until April 24.

- To win, a candidate must secure more than 50 percent of the vote. Otherwise, there will be a runoff between the top two candidates on May 28. Observers say a second round is very likely.

- Voter turnout is expected to be higher than the 2009 election, when only one-third of eligible voters cast their ballots. Some 3.8 million new voters have registered for this election.

- There are major security concerns. The Taliban has promised to disrupt the vote and it has carried out almost daily attacks in Kabul in the run up to the poll. Around 352,000 security forces will be deployed nationwide to provide security, including police cadets still in the academy.

- The presidential vote will take place on the same day as provincial council elections in each of the country’s 34 provinces.
10:09 5.4.2014
The governor of eastern Khost province, Abdul Jabbar Naeemi, showing his voter registration card.
The governor of eastern Khost province, Abdul Jabbar Naeemi, showing his voter registration card.

10:03 5.4.2014

09:57 5.4.2014

09:50 5.4.2014
In Kabul, interior ministry officials say no major security incident reported so far.

09:49 5.4.2014
Snippets from Afghan Provinces -- from Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents.

-- In the southern Helmand province's northern insecure districts, voter participation is one the rise despite threats from the Taliban.

-- In northeastern Konduz province people are queuing to vote in large numbers.

-- In northern Sar-e Pol province locals are celebrating voting as a festival. Everyone in dressed in new colorful new attire.

09:39 5.4.2014
Voters queue in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar.
Voters queue in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar.

09:38 5.4.2014
A voter shows off his finger after voting in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar.
A voter shows off his finger after voting in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar.

09:35 5.4.2014
Sattar Sadat, the head of Afghan Election Complaints Commission, told Radio Free Afghanistan that people should report fraud and election irregularities.

09:11 5.4.2014
In Giyan, one of the most insecure districts in the southeastern Afghan province of Paktika, voting going well. All 36 polling stations in the district are open and people are voting.

The district local Taliban engaged in a gun battle with Pakistani extremists after strong disagreements over plans to attack voters. The Afghan Taliban strongly opposed Pakistani Taliban's plans to attack locals.

Giyan border's Pakistan's North Waziristan tribal district, considered as the headquarters of Afghan Taliban leader, Jalaluddin Haqqani.

Majeed Shahar, Giyan Afghanistan

08:47 5.4.2014

Voting In Kabul

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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
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Afghans are flocking to polling stations across the country. Radio Free Afghanistan correspondents took these pictures in the capital, Kabul.
Show more Show less
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