CAIRO (AP) -- More than 15 months after autocratic leader Hosni Mubarak's ouster, Egyptians streamed to polling stations Wednesday to freely choose a president for the first time in generations. Waiting hours in line, some debated to the last minute over their vote in a historic election pitting old regime figures against ascending Islamists.
A sense of amazement at having a choice in the Arab world's first truly competitive presidential election pervaded the crowds in line. At the same time, voters were fervent with expectations over where a new leader will take a country that has been in turmoil ever since its ruler for nearly 30 years was toppled by mass protests.
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An Egyptian woman searches for her name on a registration list outside a polling station in Helwan, a southern suburb of Cario, Egypt on Wednesday, May 23, 2012. On Wednesday morning, Egypt commenced two days of presidential voting after 16 months of interim rule by the Supreme Council of Armed Forces. This election is the first free and fair presidential race since the ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak. AP / Pete Muller
An Egyptian man casts his vote during the first day of the presidential election in a polling station in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, May 23, 2012. AP / Manu Brabo
Egyptian men wait in line to cast their votes outside a poling center, in Giza, Egypt, Wednesday, May 23, 2012. AP / Mohammed Asad
An Egyptian dips his finger into the ink after voting at a polling station in Cairo, capital of Egypt, on May 23, 2012. MCT / Qin Haishi/ Xinhua
An Egyptian woman shows her inked finger after casting her vote inside a polling station, in Giza, Egypt, Wednesday, May 23, 2012. AP / Mohammed Asad
An Egyptian man shows his inked finger after casting his vote inside a polling station, in Giza, Egypt, Wednesday, May 23, 2012. AP / Mohammed Asad
An Egyptian elderly man carries a boy as he casts his vote inside a polling station, in Giza, Egypt, Wednesday, May 23, 2012. AP / Mohammed Asad
An Egyptian Army soldier stands guard inside a polling station as men wait to cast their votes in the country's presidential election on Wednesday, May 23, 2012 in the Zamalek neighborhood of Cairo, Egypt. AP / Maya Alleruzzo
A young Egyptian boy, Mustafa, works on election day in a mechanic shop in Al Saff, Giza Province, Egypt on Wednesday, May 23, 2012. AP / Pete Muller
Egyptian presidential candidate Abdel-Moneim Abolfotoh, second from right, prays at Amer ibn al-As mosque after voting and visiting three polling stations in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, May 23, 2012. \ AP / Fredrik Persson
Egyptians line up to vote in the presidential election Wednesday, May 23, 2012, outside a polling station in Cairo, Egypt. More than 15 months after autocratic leader Hosni Mubarak's ouster, Egyptians streamed to polling stations Wednesday to freely choose a president for the first time in generations. Waiting hours in line, some debated to the last minute over their vote in a historic election pitting old regime figures against ascending Islamists.\ AP / Hasan Jamali
Egyptian women wait to vote at Ibn Nafis Language School polling station in Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, May 23, 2012. AP / Fredrik Persson
An Egyptian stands near a poster showing Muslim brotherhood candidate Mohammed Morsi outside a polling station in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, May 23, 2012. AP / Amr Nabil
Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood presidential candidate Mohammed Morsi, walks inside a polling station to cast his vote, in Zakazik 80 Kilometers (50 miles) north of Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, May 23, 2012. AP / Ahmed Gomaa
Egyptian army soldiers, right, stand guard as hundreds of Egyptians line up outside a polling station in Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday May 23, 2012. AP / Amr Nabil
Egyptian voters line up behind security forces to cast ballots in Basateen, a southern suburb of Cario, Egypt on Wednesday, May 23, 2012. AP / Pete Muller
Egyptian voters argue with a solider as they wait cast ballots in Basateen a southern suburb of Cario, Egypt on Wednesday, May 23, 2012. AP / Pete Muller
An Egyptian woman votes during the first day of the presidential election in a polling station in Alexandria, Egypt, Wednesday, May 23, 2012. AP / Khalil Hamra
An Egyptian woman votes during the first day of the presidential election in a polling station in Alexandria, Egypt, Wednesday, May 23, 2012. AP / Khalil Hamra
An Egyptian Army soldier stands guard inside a polling station as women wait to cast their votes in the country's presidential election on Wednesday, May 23, 2012 in the Zamalek neighborhood of Cairo, Egypt. AP / Maya Alleruzzo
U.S. Congressman David Dreier, R-Calif., center, talks to an Egyptian election official inside a polling station during the first day of voting in the country's presidential election on Wednesday, May 23, 2012 in the Zamalek neighborhood of Cairo, Egypt. AP / Maya Alleruzzo
Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, center, observes the election process inside a polling station in the Sayeda Aisha neighborhood of Cairo, Egypt, Wednesday, May 23, 2012. AP / Thomas Hartwell
An Egyptian man smiles as he waits in line to vote in the presidential election Wednesday, May 23, 2012, outside a polling station in Cairo, Egypt. AP / Hasan Jamali
An Egyptian elderly woman rests on the wall as she waits in a line outside a polling station to cast her vote during the first day of the presidential election in Alexandria, Egypt, Wednesday, May 23, 2012. AP / Khalil Hamra
Egyptian voters line up to cast ballots in Maadi, a southern suburb of Cario, Egypt on Wednesday, May 23, 2012. AP / Pete Muller
An Egyptian woman casts her vote during the first day of the presidential election in a polling center in Alexandria, Egypt, Wednesday, May 23, 2012. AP / Khalil Hamra
A national flag waves as Egyptians line up outside a polling station to cast their votes during the first day of the presidential elections in Alexandria, Egypt, Wednesday, May 23, 2012. AP / Khalil Hamra
Egyptian men wait outside a polling center to cast their votes in Imbaba neighborhood in Giza, Egypt, Wednesday, May 23, 2012. AP / Ahmed Ali
Egyptians line up to vote in the presidential election Wednesday, May 23, 2012, outside a polling station in Cairo, Egypt. AP / Hasan Jamali
Egyptians are reflected in pictures showing late Egyptian presidents Mohammed Naguib, left, Gamal Abdel Nasser, second right, Anwar Sadat, right, and Egypt's last King Farouk, second left, at a photo shop in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, May 22, 2012. The May 23-24 presidential election is the first since last year's ouster of longtime authoritarian ruler Hosni Mubarak, marking the first time Egyptians will choose their leader in a race overseen by international monitors. AP / Amr Nabil
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