WHAT'S AT STAKE
Large turnout: The vote on a new constitution appeared to be yet another turning point for Egypt's nearly 2-year-old revolution. After weeks of violence and threats of a boycott, the strong turnout and orderly balloting suggested a turn toward stability with widespread participation providing the process with a degree of credibility.
Identity crisis: The latest crisis -- which has sparked weeks of bloody protests -- evolved into a dispute over whether Egypt should move toward a religious state under Islamist President Mohammed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood and their ultraconservative Salafi allies, or one that retains secular traditions and an Islamic character. The rushed draft would empower Islamists to carry out the most widespread and strictest implementation of Islamic law that modern Egypt has seen.
What's next: Official results will not be announced until after voting finishes Dec. 22.
