TIME| Link to story  »

Both the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute, U.S.-based democracy support NGOs who sent observers to the initial round of voting, cite a need for enhanced security, better monitoring at each station and greater regulation of the use of state resources for campaigning.

Wall Street Journal| Link to story  »

The Afghan government, international forces -- and the Taliban -- began preparations for the Nov. 7 presidential runoff, even as Western officials also continued advocating a power-sharing compromise to avoid the problems of a second round of voting.

Associated Press| Link to story  »

Election authorities in Afghanistan began delivering ballots with U.N. assistance across Afghanistan on Thursday, as hurried preparations for the Nov. 7 runoff in the insurgency-plagued nation's presidential election got under way.

The Boston Globe| Link to story  »

They campaigned in the farthest corners of Afghanistan. They spent thousands of their own dollars on posters. They braved death threats from the Taliban. At least two were murdered.

But after all that, the 3,196 candidates vying for 420 seats on provincial councils across Afghanistan face another problem: Even if they win, they will be virtually powerless.

EurasiaNet| Link to story  »

Amid the blight that is Afghanistan's ongoing election fraud scandal, there is a bright spot: the August presidential and provincial council elections showed that more Afghan women than ever participated in the political process.

NDI tracked female participation in all aspects of the Aug. 20 elections. Its findings were discussed during a Sept. 18 presentation, titled: Afghanistan: The Participation of Women in the 2009 Elections.