Scattered attacks, spotty turnout in Afghan elections

Voters outside a polling station in Mazar-e-Sharif, north of Kabul, on Sept. 18.

Voters cast ballots in parliamentary contest seen as a test of country's democracy

Afghans braved Taliban rockets and polling-site bombings to vote for a new parliament in elections seen as a measure of the government's competence and commitment to democratic rule.

It was the first nationwide balloting since a fraud-marred presidential election last year undermined international support for President Hamid Karzai. Security has worsened since then, and the Taliban made good on threats to disrupt Saturday's polling.

“ Even though I heard about those rocket attacks, I wanted to vote.”— Aziza, 48-year-old female voter in Kabul

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