Vote Count Begins in Afghanistan

Votes from Afghanistan’s first democratic election are being tallied after millions of voters braved threatened Taliban violence to cast their votes on Saturday. Both President Obama and NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen praised Afghan officials and voters for the vote. About seven million out of the country’s 12 million eligible voters went to the polls, a turnout so high that some polling places ran out of ballots and had to stay open late. Eight candidates are competing to replace President Hamid Karzai, who is constitutionally prohibited from seeking a third term. Observers said it will likely take a week for a complete picture of the results to emerge.