Polls opened Tuesday for a second day of voting in Egypt’s landmark parliamentary elections, the first since Hosni Mubarak’s ouster in a popular uprising earlier this year.

The head of Egypt’s election commission said turnout was “massive and unexpected” with millions participating peacefully in a spirit of hopefulness that surprised many after new protests broke out in the days leading up to the vote.

Long lines formed again Tuesday at polling centers around the capital Cairo and other cities on the second and final day of the first round of parliamentary elections.

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The historic election – which promises to be the fairest and cleanest in Egypt in living memory – will show whether the country that is one of America’s most important Middle East allies will remain secular or move down a more Islamic path as have other nations swept up in the Arab Spring.

“I am voting for this country’s sake. We want a new beginning,” said Zeinab Saad, 50, who brought her young daughter to a polling station in Cairo. “It’s a great thing to feel like your vote matters.”

The voting process, long and complicated, is staggered over the next six weeks across 27 provinces, divided into thirds with runoffs held a week after the first round in each location.

For more, go to Haaretz.com

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