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Botswana: Voters line up at schools and churches to cast ballots in southern African nation

Associated Press
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Voters queue to cast their votes at a polling station in Gaberone, Botswana, Friday, Oct. 24, 2014. Electoral officials say that voting has begun without incident where analysts believe the ruling party will win despite growing discontent in urban areas. (AP Photo) (The Associated Press)

Voters queue to cast their votes at a polling station in Gaberone, Botswana, Friday, Oct. 24, 2014. Electoral officials say that voting has begun without incident where analysts believe the ruling party will win despite growing discontent in urban areas. (AP Photo) (The Associated Press)

Voters queue to cast their votes at a polling station in Gaberone, Botswana, Friday, Oct. 24, 2014. Electoral officials say that voting has begun without incident where analysts believe the ruling party will win despite growing discontent in urban areas. (AP Photo) (The Associated Press)

People in Botswana are voting in schools, churches and military tents in an election in which the ruling party is favored to win despite growing discontent in the southern African nation.

Long lines of voters waited to cast their ballots on Friday. They were barred from wearing clothing with party symbols or chanting political slogans near the 2,600 polling stations.

President Ian Khama seeks a second term and has promised to maintain the country's economic stability despite poverty and high unemployment.

The ruling Botswana Democratic Party has strong support in rural areas, but opposition parties hope to sway dissatisfied voters in urban areas.