violence. the taliban, of course, wants to disrupt the election. they're asking people not to vote and vowing violence to keep them from voting. president karzai asked people to go to the polls to try to rep e repudiate that effort, the taliban's effort. it's not just physical security in the first afghan-run election, it's ballot security. so much fraud at the presidential election they had to do do again, short-circuited when mr. karzai's opponent dropped out of the race. there are rumors of counter fit voter registration cards and counterfit ballot paper circulating. this is a big test, not only for the security that the united states has tried to make sure is secure here in afghanistan but whether or not afghanistan can stand up as a free-standing democracy by itself. contessa? >> john yang reporting from