Tunisia: It is Election Day!

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisian Revolution 2011.

Tunisians embark on an historic day today. It is election day where they will head to the polls to elect a national constituent assembly, which will be responsible for writing a new constitution, and forming a new government.

All eyes will be fixed on Tunisia today, in what is considered the first democratic test for the so-called Arab Spring.

Around 11,000 candidates, among them seven bloggers are competing for 218 seats in the assembly.

Voters standing in long queues in front of the Tunisian Consulate in Paris. Photo Shared by Imen Braham vis pic.twitter.com

Voters standing in long queues in front of the Tunisian Consulate in Paris. Photo Shared by Imen Braham vis pic.twitter.com

Tunisians living abroad continue casting their votes. Blogger and election candidate, Imen Braham, reported long queues in Paris yesterday. Today [October, 23] polls open in Tunisia at 7am and close at 7pm Tunisian time.

 

Here are some of the reactions from Twitter, via the hash tag #tnelec, on election eve:

@Sabbagh_Anas: صبعك أزرق ؟؟ اذا انت تونسي #TnElec #Tunisie

Your finger is colored with the blue ink?? So you are a Tunisian

Those who voted had their fingers stained with blue ink – the procedure chosen by the Tunisian electoral commission to avoid multiple votes and frauds.

@ahmedbn: Proud to be Tunisian & participating for the #tnelec on the 23rd of October. Don't miss it.

@souhail_: Très ému par le déroulement de l'élection de l'assemblée constituante en Tunisie. C'est un tournant historique #TnElec

feeling so emotional from the election of the constituent assembly in Tunisia. It is a historic turning point

@Mimouna: Depuis quelque temps.. 2 jours plus précisemment, je me réveille avec un énorme sourire et une pensée : Nous votons! #Tnelec :)

for some time..two days more precisely, I wake up with a big smile, and one thought: we are voting!

@E_TunisieParis: allez voter les amis, notre Tunisie en a besoin, demain la fierté sera un sentiment commun qd la démocratie remplacera la dictature #tnelec

Go vote my friends, our Tunisia needs us, tomorrow pride will be a shared feeling, when democracy replaces dictatorship

This post is part of our special coverage Tunisian Revolution 2011.

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