Forty-four candidates were registered for the 2009 Afghan presidential election when the Independent Election Commission of Afghanistan (IEC) announced its official preliminary list of candidates on May 17, 2009.
Three candidates withdrew from the race before the election took place, having thrown their support behind one of the top two contenders.
Forty-one names appeared on the ballot paper for the vote, although a few more had by then announced through the media that they had dropped out.
[1][2][3][4] The candidates participating in the Afghan presidential election on August 20, 2009, were:[5][6]