Voting to elect a new president for Afghanistan began on Saturday with over 9 million Afghans registered to vote amid fears of violence. 

An Afghan boy walks by a car with a Ghani campaign poster in Kabul, Afghanistan, September 27, 2019. (Photo: VCG)

Tens of thousands of Afghan forces were deployed across 34 provinces to protect voters and polling stations from Taliban attacks. 
About a dozen candidates are in the fray for the presidency, but the incumbent President Ashraf Ghani and his chief executive Abdullah Abdullah are the top contenders for the job at a time when Taliban insurgents have intensified attacks. 
The 70-year-old Ghani and Abdullah, 59, have ruled through a fractured power-sharing arrangement since 2014. 

The Taliban hold more territory now than at any time since 2001 when a U.S.-led invasion overthrew their regime. 

"People of Afghanistan will defend their free and fair votes. I know Afghans will protect democracy," Ghani said at an election rally, adding that the hardline Islamist group was unable to defeat the Afghan people's inherent spirit of freedom and desire for progress. 
In the run-up to the election before Friday, more than 170 civilians have been killed and more than 300 wounded in attacks involving the Taliban. 
The Taliban had threatened violence to sow discord during the elections. "Stay away from polling stations on election day," the Taliban warned in their latest statement. 
Despite decades of war, 9.67 million or about 28 percent of the estimated 34 million Afghans registered to vote in 2019. Preliminary results of the election are not expected before October 19.