Afghanistan: U.S., Afghan military try to get out the vote, prevent Taliban disruption of key election --- NABAHAR, Afghanistan — With critical Afghan elections just weeks away, U.S. and Afghan soldiers are focused on a daunting new mission: persuading residents of remote, insurgency-plagued areas to vote. -- The presidential election could be a turning point for this fragile, war-torn nation, producing the first peaceful transition of power in its history. But if the Taliban keeps Afghans from casting ballots on April 5, the legitimacy of the vote could be questioned — potentially throwing the country into turmoil. -- “This is our last high-risk mission,” Lt. Col. Eric Lopez told his battalion of U.S. soldiers one evening before helicopters picked them up for the trip to Nabahar, a frigid desert region 200 miles south of Kabul, in Zabul Province. -- “This is our last high-risk mission,” Lt. Col. Eric Lopez told his battalion of U.S. soldiers one evening before helicopters picked them up for the trip to Nabahar, a frigid desert region 200 miles south of Kabul, in Zabul Province. -- “If it has to do with the elections, don’t let the Afghans fail.”