--- description: Despite harsh weather and the threat of violence, Afghans appeared in large numbers to vote in Saturday's presidential election title: Afghanistan Election: Voters Cast Ballots In Strong Numbers image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd5ae82ee04afa233/69868918d0b6f2303c3039f3/2014-04-05t074917z_1361990305_gm1ea451.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Afghanistan](/tag/afghanistan/) ## Afghanistan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Afghanistan Goes To The Polls by [Sam Frizell](/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 5, 2014 12:46 PM CUT  Afghan women wait to cast their ballots at a polling station in Mazar-i-sharif April 5, 2014. Afghan women wait to cast their ballots at a polling station in Mazar-i-sharif April 5, 2014.Zohra Bensemraz—Reuters by [Sam Frizell](/author/sam-frizell/) ## Sam Frizell Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Apr 5, 2014 12:46 PM CUT Afghan voters braved cold, rain, and the threat of violence by the Taliban to [cast their ballots](http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/05/us-afghanistan-election-idUSBREA331N920140405 "undefined") Saturday, lining up at the polls in strong numbers to democratically transfer power for the first time in the country’s history. There were few reports of violence Saturday, though a roadside bomb killed two policeman returning from a polling station in southern city of Qalat, and four voters were wounded in an explosion at a polling center in a southeastern province, Reuters reports. The Taliban had vowed to derail the elections, calling it a U.S.-manipulated sham. The United Nations and other foreign donors funded the $100 million election, reports the New York _Times._ About 12 million Afghans are eligible to vote in the election for eight candidates. The election is expected to end in a runoff with three leading candidates divvying up the vote. More than 350,000 Afghan troops were mobilized to protect polling stations and voters, who formed long lines to cast their ballots across the country. Relatively few polling stations were closed under threat of violence. Afghans had voted previously to elect current president Hamid Karzai in 2004 and re-elect him in a messy 2009 election that occurred amidst massive fraud, but Saturday’s vote is the first to elect a new president in the country’s history. \[[Reuters](http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/04/05/us-afghanistan-election-idUSBREA331N920140405 "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/50620/afghanistan-election-president/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/50620/afghanistan-election-president/"},"headline":"Afghanistan Goes To The Polls","datePublished":"2014-04-05T12:46:21.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T07:09:15.544Z","description":"Afghans defied threats of violence by the Taliban to turn out in large numbers to vote in Saturday's presidential election. 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