By María Julia Mayoral—Granma daily—

DESPITE continuous rainfall, the majority of Cuban voters made their way on Sunday to vote for candidates to serve as national deputies and provincial delegates. As of one hour before the closing of the polls, the number of persons voting had reached more than 8.1 million, 95% of those registered, according to María Esther Reus, president of the National Electoral Commission (CEN).

In the opinion of Reus, also the Cuban minister of justice, the administration of the elections can be evaluated as more than satisfactory, given the enthusiasm of the population and the discipline of all the electoral structures.

On Monday afternoon, the CEN will announce the preliminary results of the election, including the number of valid ballots, those left blank or judged invalid, as well as the number of united and selective votes.

With the completion of the January 20 process, the election now enters its final phase, the convening of the Provincial and National Assemblies and the election of their respective leaders. In the provincial bodies, the delegates will chose via secret ballot, a president and a vice president. In the case of the national Parliament, the deputies will elect a president, vice president and secretary for this highest body of government, as well as the members of the Council of State, its president, vice presidents and secretary.

Translated by Granma International 21-01-2008

Havana, Jan 21 (PL) More than eight million Cubans were voting this Sunday in the second phase of the general election, which represents 96 percent of the nearly 8.6 million registered, as officially announced today.

According to preliminary data released by the chairman of the National Electoral Commission, Maria Esther Reus, a total of eight million 230 thousand 832 ballots were deposited, of which 91 percent by the UNITED VOTE which shows satisfactory and positive results.

She indicated that these results reflect the commitment and active participation of the public in the selection of 614 members of parliament and 201 thousand delegates to the Provincial Assemblies of the People's Power.

Reus said that 95.24 % were valid votes, while 3.73 percent of the ballots were blank and 1.04 % nullified, something similar to previous processes, but-pointed-at the moment is compatible with general data.

It also stressed that these results are the product of the seriousness and motivation of the more than 192 thousand Cubans who worked on the 38 thousand polling stations, where they stopped the influx of public despite the rains that hit the central and western provinces.

It was a process that took place successfully in compliance with the ethical principles of the Cuban electoral system, genuinely popular, she said.

Prensa Latina 21-01-2008

By María Julia Mayoral —Granma daily staff writer—

PRESIDENT Fidel Castro exercised his right to vote for all the candidates aspiring to be deputies and provincial delegates at polling station Number 1, electoral district 13, in the Havana neighborhood of Plaza de la Revolución where, by mid-morning, a high percentage of voters had already turned out.

The president of the Councils of States and Ministers was able to receive, like any other citizen, the cooperation of a member of the Electoral Desk in his polling station. Instruction No. 3 from the National Electoral Commission stipulates that in those cases where an elector cannot attend the polling station due to physical impediment, they may request the assistance of the Electoral Desk to allow them to exercise their right to vote in their home or other location. The President of the Desk acts accordingly and appropriately, always ensuring that the Electoral Law is fulfilled and that the regulations concerning respect for secrecy are upheld.

The two ballots completed by Fidel were deposited in the ballot box by Migdalia García, president of the Desk, who explained to the press that another 15 neighbors from the area had also requested the same cooperation.

"I made use of the united vote as a question of conscience," said Fidel to the people, through a message read out at Polling Station 1 by Randy Alonso, a leader of the Union of Young Communists and director of the "Roundtable" television program.

Translated by Granma International 21-01-2008