Afghans turn out to vote in second round of election

(Image credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images)

last updated 8 January 2015

Afghanistan officials said turnout was good in today's second round of voting between former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah and economist Ashraf Ghani, formerly of the World Bank, reports the BBC News.

The Taliban had warned that it would target voters, as insurgents still have a strong foothold in more rural parts of the country.

"The level of threats is higher compared to the first round," Omar Daudzai, interior minister, said.

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Reports from the country said nearly 50 people were killed throughout the voting process, but that most of the violence was limited to smaller towns:

Afghanistan's mountainous terrain and rough roads mean a nation-wide election requires weeks to tally; thousands of donkeys carried ballot boxes to especially inaccessible regions, and a preliminary result is not expected before July 2.

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Sarah Eberspacher is an associate editor at TheWeek.com. She has previously worked as a sports reporter at The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus and The Arizona Republic. She graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.