The BBC asked voters to post on its websites. The comparison is striking. Still, Egypt, too, has begun its road to greater democratization. Here is the story of a blogger who attended his first political rally and he vows never to forget it.

Just as importantly, the Chinese news agency reported about it. How long until the Chinese will be too ashamed to continue their non-elections?

From BBCArabic.com:

I went to cast my vote. First, I went for my voting card and I found three individuals each sitting in front of a computer, all wearing Mubarak t-shirts. I got my card and went to the voting committees but found that there was an error in my number. A man told me that I will be given a card provided I swear that my vote goes to Mubarak. I refused and went back to get the right card and then headed for the polling centre, took out a paper with the 10 candidates' names on it, picked my choice and headed to the ballot to place it. The individual seated in front of the ballot took it from me and another person spoke to me. Then I glanced at the person who took my paper and asked him where it was, to which he replied that I had long since put it in the ballot! I looked at him with disgust and left. Of course I didn't vote for Mubarak and I don't know if he put the paper in the ballot or not, but I know that I regretted having gone to vote. Mohammed Mansour Annaqeeb, Cairo, Egypt

TODAY I VOTED! Posted by Zeina election candidate, Baghdad, 30 January:

Today I went and voted! I got up early, went out at 10am with my family and walked to the polling station about 10 minutes from my home. There were many people walking in the street, everyone was running around smiling and happy, it was just like a feast day.

We queued for about 10 minutes and they searched all of us, they even went through my handbag. Then I went in and voted and waited for my family to vote too. Everyone is so excited. We heard many bombs this morning but we didn't care because we have to use our right to vote. So many people were afraid to go this morning, but now it seems in the afternoon that more people have voted.

I am so happy, so glad. Later this afternoon we will meet up with our friends for a celebration. We will have a meal, drink tea and eat cake. Then we will have to head back home because of the 7pm curfew. I spoke to relatives of mine in Najaf and they said people there had voted and that everything was fine. They too were so happy.

If we are elected then I will go to my party offices in a few days and they will decide what we should do. I won't find out if I have won for two or three days. I don't think we shall win because we didn't have many posters or people handing out our papers in the street - so very few people really knew about us. It was just not safe to campaign. But it doesn't matter. Today is a great day."