In war-ravaged Afghanistan, holding the country\'s first election poses stiff challenges - harsh terrain, suspect security and simply ensuring that people cast their ballots properly. On 9 October Afghans will choose from 18 presidential candidates in some 25,000 polling stations across the country. That is not all - Afghan refugees in neighbouring countries will be also casting their ballots. Some 800,000 Afghans living in refugee camps in Iran are expected to turn up at the 1,000 polling stations on the same day. And in Pakistan, another 1.5 million are expected to vote. The election authorities are trying to keep the voting procedure simple and ensure that men and especially women - who comprise 41.3% of the electorate - come out and vote. Voters will have a thumb marked with indelible ink. A big challenge is to find enough men and women to staff voting centres in a country where literacy is low. State-run radio is spreading the word about the election, and some 1,200 \"civic educators\" will be going around the country to hire local polling officials. Election logistics are also a considerable challenge in the country that has few good roads. Pick-ups, four-wheel drives, jeeps, airplanes, helicopters, horses and donkeys will be used to transport polling officials and materials to all over the country. Bringing the 30,000 ballot boxes, built in Denmark, to the counting centres after the end of the voting will be another daunting exercise - an average of 3,000 ballot boxes will be moved to each centre. \"There will be convoys of trucks, five MI-8 helicopters, jeeps and hired vehicles bringing ballot boxes to the polling centres,\" says Julian Type of the Joint Electoral Management Body. In some cases, it may take a week to bring the boxes down to the counting centres, he adds. The ballots will be gathered in the presence of national and international poll observers and candidates\' agents. They will be counted in the provinces. (BBC)