Jihadist threats kept many polling places shut in Mali election

Election workers start the counting of the ballots during a run-off presidential election in Bamako, Mali August 12, 2018. REUTERS/Luc Gnago

BAMAKO (Reuters) - Threats by jihadist militants forced hundreds of polling stations in Mali to stay closed during Sunday's presidential run-off, the government said on Monday.

The 490 polling stations that failed to open were about two percent of the total. In last month's first round, 644 were unable to operate. Security fears severely dampened the turnout, which a civil society group estimated at only 22 percent.