This was a giant first step in Egypt.
The nationwide referendum is the first major test of the country's transition to democracy after a popular uprising forced Hosni Mubarak to step down five weeks ago, handing the reins of power to the military.
Early signs show an unusually big turnout, with lines forming in the hours before polls opened. They snaked along the streets in Cairo and other Egyptian cities, with men and women standing in separate lines as is customary in the conservative and mainly Muslim nation.
The vote promises to be the freest in Egypt since 1952 when the monarchy was ousted and the multiparty democracy that functioned under British colonial rule was ended. Egypt has since been ruled by men of military background, with fraud and extremely low turnout defining every nationwide vote.
