Apr 5, 2014

Voting was largely peaceful in Afghanistan’s presidential election on Saturday, with only isolated attacks on polling stations as a country racked by decades of chaos embarked on its first ever democratic transfer of power.

: Afghan women preparing to vote line up outside a local polling station in Kabul on April 5, 2014. Afghan voters went to the polls to choose a successor to President Hamid Karzai, braving Taliban threats in a landmark election held as US-led forces wind down their long intervention in the country. Afghanistan’s third presidential election brings an end to 13 years of rule by Karzai, who has held power since the Taliban were ousted in a US-led invasion in 2001, and will be the first democratic handover of power in the country’s turbulent history. (Shah Marai/AFP/Getty Images)

: Afghan women cast their ballots at a local polling station in Kabul on April 5, 2014. Afghan voters went to the polls to choose a successor to President Hamid Karzai, braving Taliban threats in a landmark election held as US-led forces wind down their long intervention in the country. Afghanistan’s third presidential election brings an end to 13 years of rule by Karzai, who has held power since the Taliban were ousted in a US-led invasion in 2001, and will be the first democratic handover of power in the country’s turbulent history. (Shah Marai/AFP/Getty Images)

: An Afghan policeman searches a voter before he enters a polling station to cast his vote in Kandahar on April 5, 2014. Afghan voters went to the polls to choose a successor to President Hamid Karzai, braving Taliban threats in a landmark election held as US-led forces wind down their long intervention in the country. (Banaras Khan/AFP/Getty Images)

: An Afghan election official enters a voter’s details as he looks at an identification card at a local polling station in Kandahar on April 5, 2014. Afghan voters went to the polls to choose a successor to President Hamid Karzai, braving Taliban threats in a landmark election held as US-led forces wind down their long intervention in the country. (Banaras Khan/AFP/Getty Images)

: An Afghan election official notes a voter’s identification card at a local polling station in Kandahar on April 5, 2014. Afghan voters went to the polls to choose a successor to President Hamid Karzai, braving Taliban threats in a landmark election held as US-led forces wind down their long intervention in the country. (Banaras Khan/AFP/Getty Images)

: Afghan voters queue at a local polling station in the Jamee mosque of Herat on April 5, 2014. Afghan voters went to the polls to choose a successor to President Hamid Karzai, braving Taliban threats in a landmark election held as US-led forces wind down their long intervention in the country. (Aref Karimi/AFP/Getty Images)

: An Afghan election worker checks the finger of a voter with a special light to detect invisible ink markings which authorities are putting on every voters fingers in addition to the visible purple ink at a local polling station in Kabul on April 5, 2014. Afghan voters went to the polls to choose a successor to President Hamid Karzai, braving Taliban threats in a landmark election held as US-led forces wind down their long intervention in the country. Afghanistan’s third presidential election brings an end to 13 years of rule by Karzai, who has held power since the Taliban were ousted in a US-led invasion in 2001, and will be the first democratic handover of power in the country’s turbulent history. (Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty Images)

: An Afghan man casts his vote at a local polling station in Kabul on April 5, 2014. Afghan voters went to the polls to choose a successor to President Hamid Karzai, braving Taliban threats in a landmark election held as US-led forces wind down their long intervention in the country. (Shah Marai/AFP/Getty Images)

: Afghan voters crowd a polling station in Kabul on April 5, 2014. Afghan voters went to the polls to choose a successor to President Hamid Karzai, braving Taliban threats in a landmark election held as US-led forces wind down their long intervention in the country. (Shah Marai/AFP/Getty Images)

: Afghan residents line up to vote inside a polling station in Kabul on April 5, 2014. Afghan voters went to the polls to choose a successor to President Hamid Karzai, braving Taliban threats in a landmark election held as US-led forces wind down their long intervention in the country. Afghanistan’s third presidential election brings an end to 13 years of rule by Karzai, who has held power since the Taliban were ousted in a US-led invasion in 2001, and will be the first democratic handover of power in the country’s turbulent history. (Shah Marai/AFP/Getty Images)

: An Afghan woman shows her inked finger after voting at a polling station in the northwestern city of Herat on April 5, 2014. Afghan voters went to the polls to choose a successor to President Hamid Karzai, braving Taliban threats in a landmark election held as US-led forces wind down their long intervention in the country. (Aref Karimi/AFP/Getty Images)

: An Afghan woman leaves the booth after casting her vote at a polling station in the northwestern city of Herat on April 5, 2014. Afghan voters went to the polls to choose a successor to President Hamid Karzai, braving Taliban threats in a landmark election held as US-led forces wind down their long intervention in the country. (Aref Karimi/AFP/Getty Images)

: Afghan election officials count ballot papers at the end of polling in Kandahar on April 5, 2014. Afghans voted in large numbers to choose a successor to President Hamid Karzai in the country’s first democratic transfer of power as US-led forces end their 13-year war. (Banaras Khan /AFP/Getty Images)

: An Afghan election official (L) carries a ballot box before counting at the end of polling in Kandahar on April 5, 2014. Afghans voted in large numbers to choose a successor to President Hamid Karzai in the country’s first democratic transfer of power as US-led forces end their 13-year war. (Khan BanarasAFP/Getty Images)

: Election workers sort presidential ballots after a polling station was closed for voting in Kabul on April 5, 2014. Afghans voted in large numbers Saturday to choose a successor to President Hamid Karzai in the country’s first democratic transfer of power as US-led forces end their 13-year war. Despite Taliban threats, voting was largely peaceful with long queues in cities across the country as voters cast their ballots at around 6,000 centres under tight security. (Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty Images)

: Election workers sort presidential ballots after a polling station was closed for voting in Kabul on April 5, 2014. Afghans voted in large numbers Saturday to choose a successor to President Hamid Karzai in the country’s first democratic transfer of power as US-led forces end their 13-year war. Despite Taliban threats, voting was largely peaceful with long queues in cities across the country as voters cast their ballots at around 6,000 centres under tight security. (Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty Images)

: Afghan men search for their candidate on a ballot while voting during presidential and provincial elections at a polling station in Adraskan district of Herat province April 5, 2014. Voting was peaceful during the first few hours of Afghanistan’s presidential election on Saturday, with only isolated attacks on polling stations as the country embarked on the first democratic transfer of power since the fall of a Taliban regime in 2001. (REUTERS/Omar Sobhani)

: An Afghan policemen guards the entrance of a polling station in Mazar-i-sharif April 5,2014. Voting was peaceful during the first few hours of Afghanistan’s presidential election on Saturday, with only isolated attacks on polling stations as the country embarked on the first democratic transfer of power since the fall of a Taliban regime in 2001. (REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra)

: Afghans wanting to vote queue in the rain outside a polling station before it opened in Kabul April 5, 2014. Voting began on Saturday in Afghanistan’s presidential election, which will mark the first democratic transfer of power since the country was tipped into chaos by the fall of the hardline Islamist Taliban regime in 2001. (REUTERS/Tim Wimborne)

: A policeman stands guard outside a polling station in Kabul as Afghans wanting to vote queue outside before it opened April 5, 2014. Voting began on Saturday in Afghanistan’s presidential election, which will mark the first democratic transfer of power since the country was tipped into chaos by the fall of the hardline Islamist Taliban regime in 2001. (REUTERS/Tim Wimborne)

: An Afghan woman casts her ballot at a polling station in Mazar-i- sharif April 5, 2014. Voting was peaceful during the first few hours of Afghanistan’s presidential election on Saturday, with only isolated attacks on polling stations as the country embarked on the first democratic transfer of power since the fall of a Taliban regime in 2001. (REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra)

: An Afghan woman looks through a window as another is about to cast her ballot at a polling station in Mazar-i-Sharif April 5, 2014. Voting began on Saturday in Afghanistan’s presidential election, which will mark the first democratic transfer of power since the country was tipped into chaos by the fall of the hardline Islamist Taliban regime in 2001. (REUTERS/Zohra Bensemra)

: Afghan President Hamid Karzai casts his vote in Kabul April 5, 2014. Voting began on Saturday in Afghanistan’s presidential election, which will mark the first democratic transfer of power since the country was tipped into chaos by the fall of the hardline Islamist Taliban regime in 2001. (REUTERS/Mohammad Ismail)

: An Afghan electoral official waits for voters at a polling station in Kabul April 5, 2014. Voting began on Saturday in Afghanistan’s presidential election, which will mark the first democratic transfer of power since the country was tipped into chaos by the fall of the hardline Islamist Taliban regime in 2001. (REUTERS/Ahmad Masood)

: An electoral official processes voters at a polling station in Kabul April 5, 2014. Voting began on Saturday in Afghanistan’s presidential election, which will mark the first democratic transfer of power since the country was tipped into chaos by the fall of the hardline Islamist Taliban regime in 2001. (REUTERS/Ahmad Masood)

: Election officials count ballot papers by lamp light after voting closed at a polling station in Kabul April 5, 2014. Voting was largely peaceful in Afghanistan’s presidential election on Saturday, with only isolated attacks on polling stations as a country racked by decades of chaos embarked on its first ever democratic transfer of power. (REUTERS/Tim Wimborne)

Most people expect the election will be better run than the chaotic 2009 vote that handed the outgoing president, Hamid Karzai, a second term amid massive fraud and ballot stuffing.

The stronger the next president’s mandate, the less vulnerable Afghanistan could be to instability. One major concern is that it could take several months for a winner to be declared at a time when the country desperately needs a leader to stem rising violence as foreign troops prepare to leave.

About 12 million are eligible to vote in the election, and there are eight candidates, with former foreign ministers Abdullah Abdullah and Zalmay Rassoul, and former finance minister Ashraf Ghani the favorites. – Reuters

Afghanistan votes for a new president, despite Taliban threats

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