It's an historic day in Libya as nearly three million people go to the polls, in the first democratic elections for nearly half a century.

Turnout is expected to be high, with around 80 per cent registered to vote. Although the shooting down of a helicopter carrying election materials near Benghazi on Friday has cast a dark shadow on the eve of the ballot, the election organisers say they are ready to make it work.

Al Jazeera's Paul Brennan reports from Tripoli.