for others . There were no official details on voter turnout and it has been difficult to get an accurate count of how many Afghans voted in defiance of threats of violence from the Taliban . CNN 's Atia Abawi said election officials at one polling station in Kabul had already begun counting ballots after a low turnout when the order to extend voting reached them . Afghan voter turnout low as presidential election nears end '' When asked how many ballots had been counted , an election official said 1,000 -- which seemed high to the CNN crew that had been at the polling station all day . `` We were there all day and we did not see 1,000 people , '' CNN 's Kevin Flower said . Election workers in central Bamiyan province immediately began reopening the polls after the order to extend voting . `` Election workers had put up security tape barriers and even tied down the flaps to their voting tents shortly after 4 p.m. local time , '' CNN 's Ivan Watson reported from the province . `` The security tape has been removed and voters are straggling in again . '' Election
KABUL , Afghanistan -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Afghanistan officials said 26 people across the country were killed in election day violence , although they hailed Thursday 's vote as a success . A woman dips her finger in ink to show she voted in Bamiyan , one of Afghanistan 's more peaceful provinces . Nearly 95 percent of the more than 6,000 polling stations across Afghanistan opened on Thursday , according to government and electoral officials . Counting is under way but initial results are not expected for another 36 to 48 hours , while final results will not be certified until mid-September . Officials extended voting until everyone waiting in line had a chance to cast their ballots . `` At some -LSB- polling stations -RSB- there is a very large line , '' said Azizullah Ludin of Afghanistan 's Independent Electoral Commission . `` We have to complete all these people that are coming here . '' It is the nation 's second presidential election since the 2001 fall of the Taliban . Ludin said the decision to add more time to vote was because of a large turnout at some stations and technical issues that delayed voting