Live Blog: Afghanistan Presidential Election 2014

Afghanistan polls officially closed

Those already in line will still be able to vote.

An important story by Frud Bezhan on all SMS communications being blocked by the Telecommunications Ministry today. There was no prior announcement of the move and some worry that it will seriously hinder the job of the 200,000 election observers.
Bezhan says that some have speculated the move was either to prevent last-minute campaigning (illegal in the 48 hours before election day) or to deter Taliban attacks. In the past, militants have used mobile phones to detonate improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Here's a picture from our Afghan Service of Sikhs after voting in Kabul. Members of the Sikh community, which numbers around 3,000 (but was once more than 100,000), recently spoke to Frud Bezhan about their disenchantment with the Afghan government. Many said they did not plan to vote today.

Rocket attack in Nengahar province

A reporter for RFE/RL's Afghan Service in Nengahar province in the country's east says a doctor at the city’s main government hospital told him at least ten people have been injured in the attack. Local residents say the wounded include at least two children.

Businesses are closed and security is tight in Kabul today, allowing the unexpected opportunity for street-acrobatics to flourish.

Noor Mohammad Noor, the election commission spokesman, tells our Afghan Service that officials are redirecting voters at stations without sufficient ballots to different voting centers.

Reports of ballot paper shortages adding up

RFA reporters in Afghanistan’ northern provinces of Balkh, Jawzjan and Faryab say several voting centers are out of ballots.

We've seen reports of ballot shortages throughout the country.

The Afghan Election Commission spokesperson, Noor Mohammad Noor, says that 211 voting centers (about 4 percent) were not opened due to security concerns today. Earlier, the commission had predicted that as many as 10 percent of the stations would be closed. -- Freshta Jalalzai