Ballots not bullets

AP Published March 24, 2014
School children pass by a graffiti message which says "ballot not bullet" on their way back home, on the outskirts of Kandahar, southern Afghanistan.
School children pass by a graffiti message which says "ballot not bullet" on their way back home, on the outskirts of Kandahar, southern Afghanistan.
Afghan election campaign placards are placed on a wall next to a huge graffiti urging people to go to the polls in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan.
Afghan election campaign placards are placed on a wall next to a huge graffiti urging people to go to the polls in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan.
Two Afghan men pass by a piece of graffiti demanding people to go to the polls in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan.
Two Afghan men pass by a piece of graffiti demanding people to go to the polls in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan.
Two Afghan women and a young girl cross a street next to an election poster demanding that voting is the right for every man and woman, in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan.
Two Afghan women and a young girl cross a street next to an election poster demanding that voting is the right for every man and woman, in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan.
A huge election banner with presidential hopeful Abdul Rasoul Sayyaf, (Right), with his running mates Ismail Khan, (center), a powerful warlord from Herat and Abdul Wahab Erfan, a parliamentarian, hangs from a construction building in Kabul, Afghanistan.
A huge election banner with presidential hopeful Abdul Rasoul Sayyaf, (Right), with his running mates Ismail Khan, (center), a powerful warlord from Herat and Abdul Wahab Erfan, a parliamentarian, hangs from a construction building in Kabul, Afghanistan.
A police man sits at a traffic checkpoint next to an election poster showing provincial candidate Mohammad Harun Mosawer on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan.
A police man sits at a traffic checkpoint next to an election poster showing provincial candidate Mohammad Harun Mosawer on the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan.

With the upcoming Afghan presidential elections drawing near, It has become clear that it is not just the outcome of the election that will dictate Afghanistan’s future, but also whether or not voting can be carried out safely. A peaceful election process is vital for setting a precedent for future democratic elections, especially with diminished coalition and U.S. involvement. Voters have expressed anxiety regarding the safety of the polls, and said it could discourage people from casting their ballots.

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