In Iraq, on January 30, 2005, “The actual elections went off quite successfully, in spite of a near-universal boycott in the majority Sunni areas of Iraq and the terrorist incidents that marred the process in parts of the country. About 8.5 million Iraqis cast their vote, nearly 60 per cent of the eligible voters. Iraqis overseas, however, of whom nearly 1.2 million were eligible to vote, did not participate in the anticipated numbers. Only a quarter of a million cast their votes. By and large, accusations of ballot-rigging were few, given the importance of the elections.”
– Ali A. Allawi, The Occupation of Iraq, Page 391