Afghans went to the polls Saturday for the second and final round of voting in the runoff election to replace President Hamid Karzai. The head of the election commission said turnout topped seven million.

Ahmad Yousuf: “The estimated numbers of the participants in today’s election were more than seven million, which includes 38 percent of women and 62 percent of men turned out. Holding of a second round of presidential elections was a historic event in the history of our country. This election paves the ground for a democratic transition of the political process from one president to another.”

The leading candidate, Abdullah Abdullah, who survived a recent assassination attempt, has questioned the high turnout report and voiced concerns about fraud. Scattered attacks on election day left dozens of people dead, including more than 30 civilians. A roadside bomb attack killed 11 people in the north, including several election workers, while 11 men in a western province had their ink-dipped fingers chopped off by the Taliban as punishment for voting. Official election results are expected next month.