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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
11:39 15.6.2014
11:58 15.6.2014
13:37 15.6.2014
Abdullah and Ghani Both Say They’re Leading

Both candidates, speaking last night, appeared to set the stage for refusing to accept defeat, according to Reuters.

Former presidential candidate Daud Sultanzoi, a member of the Ghani team:
"The result is already very clear to everyone because Dr. Ashraf Ghani's observers were monitoring and at the same time were asking people's opinion.”

Mahmud Saikal, from Abdullah’s campaign team:
"The result is obviously very clear. We will never accept the result if based on fraud and we will certainly dig out those who committed fraud and hang them."
14:10 15.6.2014
Ashraf Ghani

Speaking at a press conference in Kabul on June 14:
"What is gratifying is [that] contrary to every assumption made by every expert -- particularly foreign experts -- that Afghans will not turn out for the second round [of the presidential election], we have proven every expert wrong and I am delighted with that."

"At times our foreign friends take our poverty and our seeming illiteracy as a sign of a lack of commitment, sophistication, or democracy. This is a [public] deeply committed to debate and discussion and I am delighted to be a member of it."

"The chairman of the [Independent] Election Commission has asked that we not claim victory or make a forecast. We have honored this. Our own analysis is that we have done very well and we are very proud that this great people has responded to our call for transformation and continuity."
14:12 15.6.2014
Abdullah Abdullah

Speaking at a press conference in Kabul on June 14:
"[The] men and women of the country did participate and we are proud of our nation. Once again they proved that they believe in the democratic process, they are aware of their democratic rights, and they respect the law in this regard."

"By massive participation they proved [wrong] all those assessments and anticipations which were saying that the people of Afghanistan don't know about the second round [of the presidential election], they might not be willing to participate in the second round."

"In regard to the future of this country, I am very hopeful that there will be an opportunity for recreating, rebuilding the trust between the people of Afghanistan and their own government, and also between the Afghan state and the neighboring countries, and the countries of the region and countries of the world."

"The future of the country will depend on the legitimate outcome of the election, and [the] legitimate outcome of the election will further strengthen the foundation of the country."
14:14 15.6.2014
On The Move
"Since last night we were able to transfer more than 45 percent of election materials and ballot boxes from Kabul polling centers to the main office of the Independent Election Commission."
-- IEC spokesman Noor Muhammad Noor, June 15
15:01 15.6.2014
We conclude our live-blogging of the second-round runoff of the 2014 Afghan presidential election with a final feature from our correspondent Frud Bezhan, who has been covering the vote from Kabul.

In his piece "Doubts Cast On High Turnout," Bezhan looks at some of the questions being asked about estimates that more than 7 million voters cast ballots, 38 percent of them women.

As the vote count continues we will continue to cover developments closely.

You can find all our latest Afghan news in English on our Afghanistan page, and follow the post election developments on our "After Karzai" blog.

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