The first days of voting in the southern Sudan referendum saw people turnout in very high numbers, sometimes waiting in line for hours for their turn to choose between secession or unity. By Wednesday, the SPLM declared that more than 60 percent of registered voters had gone to the polls, surpassing the threshold needed for the referendum to be deemed credible. "We are aiming for 100 percent turnout by the end of the polling period," said Anne Itto, the SPLM deputy.
Around Juba, the long lines and the frenetic mood have subsided, but young people and local officials are working hard to see that everyone in their communities vote before polls close Saturday.