The real story behind voter registration in Afghanistan

Tracy Van Slyke

While President Bush claims that there are 10 million, there's more to that story than he's willing to admit. The UN claimed that earlier estimates were erroneous because of the lack of accurate census data. There have been reports of individuals brandishing two or more voting cards, usually announcing they have acquired extra ones as an investment, or in hopes of selling the cards to make $100 or more per card, reports BBC News. In the Panjshir Valley, the number of cards issued is two and a half times the estimated number of voters. Fore the full story, click here.

Tracy Van Slyke, a former publisher of In These Times, is the project director for The Media Consortium.
The text is from the poem “QUADRENNIAL” by Golden, reprinted with permission. It was first published in the Poetry Project. Inside front cover photo by Golden.
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