More than 17 million Afghans are registered to vote . `` So this is a remarkable experiment in democracy and something that Afghanistan needs to give legitimacy to the new government . '' The United Nations estimates that more than half of the country's population is illiterate and nearly a third live in poverty. A key issue for voters is government corruption . Some observers concerned elections will be neither fair nor free .
More than 17 million Afghans are registered to vote . The United Nations estimates that more than half of the country's population is illiterate and nearly a third live in poverty. A key issue for voters is government corruption . Some observers concerned elections will be neither fair nor free .