No party is expected to win outright, which means that whoever comes out on top will have to reach out to other parties to form a government.

VOA: standard.2010.03.07

The second round was required after a U.N.-backed investigation into the vote found widespread fraud and a third of Mr.Karzai's ballots were declared invalid, reversing his outright victory.

VOA: standard.2009.10.28

Jean Mamboundou says opposition parties have failed to heed civil society's call for a single candidate because many believe they can win the election outright on their own.

VOA: standard.2009.08.28

Two states banned them outright. Those laws were rendered invalid for married women by a 1965 Supreme Court decision and the ruling was expanded in 1972 to cover all women.

VOA: standard.2010.05.12

But the U.N.-backed Electoral Complaints Commission examined more than 2,500 allegations of fraud including phantom polling stations, ballot-stuffing and police intimidation and declared a third of Mr.Karzai's ballots invalid, reversing his outright victory.

VOA: standard.2009.10.20

The government's outright rejection for a truce with Tamil Tiger rebels came a day after the European Union said the situation of civilians trapped in the war zone is dangerous and called for a cease-fire to allow humanitarian aid into the region.

VOA: standard.2009.03.17