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Afghan election officials count ballot papers after polls closed in Kabul on June 14.
Afghan election officials count ballot papers after polls closed in Kabul on June 14.

Live Blog: Election Day In Afghanistan

Latest News

-- The vote count continues, as does the investigation into hundreds of claims of vote fraud. Final preliminary results are expected on July 2, and final results on July 22.

-- Many media refrained from reporting violence during the vote, but officials said June 15 that more than 270 Taliban attacks were recorded, resulting in the deaths of 50 civilians.

-- In one attack, a roadside bomb exploded beside a minibus that was carrying Afghan election workers home, killing 10 adults and a child.

-- Taliban militants severed the voting fingers of 11 voters in Herat Province.

-- The Independent Electoral Commission initially said that there were signs that voter turnout exceeded 7 million, putting it roughly on par with the first-round vote in April.

-- Officials said that, of those who turned out, 38 percent were women and 62 percent were men.

* NOTE: Times are stated according to local time in Kabul
11:33 12.6.2014
We have experienced some technical issues. But we are now back up and running.
11:37 12.6.2014
Relief

Some Kabul residents we talked to on the street said they were relieved that the election would soon be over. This man says the election has proved a distraction, and that other pressing issues facing the country need attention, including unemployment and price hikes on everyday goods.
12:03 12.6.2014
United Nations

Radio Free Afghanistan reports:

The United Nations' special representative in Afghanistan, Jan Kubis, told reporters in Kabul today that the two presidential hopefuls should urge their supporters not to commmit fraud during Saturday's vote.

"The candidates should respect the work of the election management bodies. [They should] avoid jumping to conclusions as it would have a negative impact on the sentiments of Afghans."

"Give the time to the election management bodies to do their work."

"The international community is impartial. It is interested in good outcome of the elections."

12:10 12.6.2014
12:24 12.6.2014
Girl Power

Lieutenant Sara, an Afghan female commando, speaks to Radio Free Afghanistan.

"As an Afghan woman, I am ready to secure polling stations so my mothers and sisters can cast their votes."

Election day will fall on the same day as Mother's Day in Afghanistan.
12:52 12.6.2014
Boats for Landlocked Afghanistan?

Interesting news from Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR).

Only problem is Afghanistan is landlocked.
13:05 12.6.2014
13:24 12.6.2014
Negative Campaigning

The head of the Free & Fair Election Forum of Afghanistan (FEFA), Nader Naderi, spoke to journalists today about the ugly mudslinging between the Abdullah and Ghani campaign teams.

"One of the clear characteristics of the runoff campaigns was negative campaigning. An example of the negative campaigning was the utilization of ethnic politics."

"Our major concern in this round is that the thousands of supporters of the candidates will resort to fraud because the ethnic languages the candidates used."


14:33 12.6.2014
Tight Race

This is still anyone's race to win, according to the latest numbers.

A poll released on June 10 showed that Ashraf Ghani had closed the gap (he finished with nearly 32 percent of the vote in the first round, compared to Abdullah Abdulah's 44.5 percent) and has taken a surprising lead going into Saturday's election.

The latest Glevum polls shows that Abdullah's support has slipped, and now stands at 42 percent, compared to 49 percent for Ghani.

A report in "The Telegraph" explains how polls are notoriously unreliable in Afghanistan, but that the results nonetheless mark an extraordinary comeback by Ghani, "and vindicate his decision to team up with General Abdul Rashid Dostum."

Not so long ago, according to Frud Bezhan, the numbers weren't adding up for Ghani.

And there are other indications that Ghani could emerge victorious:
14:34 12.6.2014

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