Vote counting was underway in Egypt on Friday after two days of polling in a landmark presidential election which pitted stability against the ideals of the uprising that ended Hosni Mubarak’s rule.

This time around, 50 million eligible voters were given the chance to choose between 12 candidates in a race that has been largely free of the violence and fraud that often marred elections before the January-February 2011 revolt.

Just hours after polling stations closed at 9:00 pm (1900 GMT) Thursday, the powerful Muslim Brotherhood — using their formidable nationwide network to tally votes — predicted a win for their candidate, Mohammed Mursi.

“I am confident that as first indications show, our candidate is leading,” Essam Al Erian, vice chairman of the Islamist group’s Freedom and Justice Party, told reporters, based on results from 236 out of 13,000 polling stations.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on congratulated Egypt on its “historic” presidential election, and said Washington was ready to work with a new government in Cairo.

“We will continue to stand with the Egyptian people as they work to seize the promise of last year’s uprising and build a democracy that reflects their values and traditions, respects universal human rights, and meets their aspirations for dignity and a better life,” Clinton said in a statement.

Electoral commission officials said turnout was around 50 percent over the two days of voting on Wednesday and Thursday, with some voters queueing for hours to cast their ballot.

In schools and other institutions around the country, representatives from Egypt’s electoral commission carefully sorted the ballots, each printed with the name, photograph and electoral symbol of the candidates, into neat piles.

Results from the polling stations across the country were expected to trickle out on Friday, but official tallies are not scheduled to be announced until May 27.

Among the contenders is former foreign minister and Arab League chief Amr Mussa, who is seen as an experienced politician and diplomat, though critics have hammered his ties to the old regime.

Ahmed Shafiq, Mubarak’s last prime minister, has also been shunned by some but praised by others for his law-and-order platform in a country where many crave stability.

The powerful Muslim Brotherhood’s candidate, Mursi, faces competition from Abdel Moneim Abul Fotouh, a former member of the Islamist movement who portrays himself as a consensus choice.

And also in the running is Hamdeen Sabbahi, a Nasserist politician who was initially considered a fringe candidate but gained surprise momentum late in the campaign.