VZCZCXRO2942
RR RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHIHL RUEHKUK
DE RUEHGB #1344/01 1220713
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 010713Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7113
INFO RUCNRAQ/IRAQ COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAGHDAD 001344 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/29/2018 
TAGS: PGOV PREL IZ
SUBJECT: IRAQ'S VOTER REGISTRATION PROCESS 
 
Classified By: Deputy PolCouns Ellen Germain for Reasons 1.4(b) and (d) 
 
¶1.  (C)  Summary:  On April 29, officials from USAID 
implementing partner IFES updated the Embassy Elections 
Planning Group (EPG) on the current status of the Voter 
Registration Exercise (VRE), still planned for June 1-30. 
They described the modalities of checking the voter registry, 
updating, adding, or changing information in the registry, as 
well as the voter registration timeline and how well the 
Independent High Electoral Commission was tracking with the 
timeline to begin voter registration by June 1.  The overall 
message was that despite obstacles, voter registration is on 
track to begin June 1, provided clarity on voter eligibility 
is forthcoming from the Council of Representatives.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2.  (C)  On April 29, Charles Lasham, Chief of Party and 
Sherif Shaker, Voter Registration Specialist, both from IFES, 
the USAID implementing partner providing technical assistance 
to the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) gave 
Post's Election Planning Group an overview of the status of 
preparations for voter registration, which is scheduled to 
begin on June 1.  (Note:  The Election Planning Group is an 
interagency team that meets weekly to facilitate information 
sharing and progress on provincial election planning.  End 
Note.)  They described to the group the method in which the 
provisional voter registry was created and then updated the 
group on the progress on the voter registration exercise 
scheduled to begin June 1. 
 
PROVISIONAL VOTER REGISTRY:  BRING OUT YOUR DEAD 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
¶3.  (C) The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) 
converted the Public Distribution System (PDS - a database 
listing those receiving food subsidies, which is most of the 
population) from the antiquated Foxpro database program used 
by the Ministry of Trade (MoT) to an SQL database program, 
which allows the flexibility needed in a voter registry 
database.  The records have been updated with information 
from the MoT and Ministry of Interior (MoI), along with the 
Ministry of Health (MoH), which provided mortality data. 
Unfortunately, the mortality data only include the deceased's 
name, which greatly reduces the value of this information. 
Many names in Iraq are similar or common, and without 
accompanying residential or family data, it is hard to 
discern who on the provisional voter registry could 
legitimately be removed from the list.  Thus the voter 
registration exercise (VRE) is needed to give people a chance 
to verify the list. 
 
TERMINOLOGY:  CENTERS AND STATIONS AND UNITS, OH MY 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
¶4.  (C)  Voters will update their voter registry information 
at one of 549 Voter Registration Centers (VRC) around Iraq. 
The VRC is based on the PDS center where the PDS registry for 
each PDS district is located.  A polling unit corresponds to 
a PDS food agent (who delivers food to a specific small 
area). The polling units make up the polling stations.  On 
election day, there will be multiple polling stations 
composed of no more than 500 registered voters.  Each station 
will most likely be in a room in a school.  Keeping the 
number of voters assigned to a polling station low should 
lessen the amount of wait time and shorten the voting lines, 
decreasing the security risk.  A polling center (usually a 
school) will be composed of four to six polling stations, in 
order to keep the number of voters assigned to each center 
between 2000 and 3000.  There will be approximately 6500 
polling centers composed of approximately 38,000 polling 
stations throughout Iraq. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Iraq has a "passive" voter registration system. 
Every Iraqi citizen 18 years of age or older who is on the 
PDS list as of August 2007 is automatically on the 
provisional voter registry and registered to vote.  During 
the 30-day VRE, each prospective voter or member of a 
household acting as a representative of the household may 
visit his or her assigned Voter Registration Center (VRC) to 
check his or her own name (or the names of family members.) 
If the name and registration information are correct, the 
prospective voter does nothing.  If there is incorrect 
information, the prospective voter has the VRC clerk fill out 
a "change" form with the correct information, then signs the 
form and receives a copy.  If the voter's name is missing, he 
or she has the VRC clerk fill out an "addition" form.  In 
both instances, proper proof of identity is required.  If a 
family member has died, a death certificate is required. 
Voters will be allowed to change their assigned polling unit 
to another without having to provide documentation, and 
correcting that information should not have a major impact on 
the demographics of a district or sub-district. If a voter 
wants to correct his or her assigned VRC or governorate, that 
will require proof of residency. During the VRE, change and 
addition forms will be continually collected.  The data from 
 
BAGHDAD 00001344  002 OF 002 
 
 
the forms will be entered into the database from an offshore 
location (for security reasons) using a double-blind entry 
system that maximizes accuracy. 
 
¶6.  (C)  Approximately one month after the VRE is completed, 
the provisional voter registry will again be displayed at the 
VRCs to enable voters who had requested corrections ensure 
the changes have been made.  Also during this period, 
challenges to names other than one's own on the provisional 
voter registry may be made.  As with the first round of the 
VRE, proof must be presented if one is alleging a neighbor 
has died or moved.  The assessment as to whether or not to 
remove the name will be made locally at the VRC.  The 
decision can be challenged all the way up through IHEC and an 
appellate court.  This will act as a safeguard against 
neighbors of differing political parties trying to remove one 
another from the voter registry. 
 
 
IT'S ALL IN THE TIMING 
---------------------- 
 
¶7.  (C)  On Saturday May 3, if the IHEC board of 
commissioners have given their approval, IHEC will sign a 
contract with a vendor in the United Arab Emirates to print 
the provisional voter registry list and voter update forms. 
It is anticipated the printing will be completed by mid-May. 
IHEC still needs to select a transportation vendor to 
transport the voter registration materials from UAE to IHEC's 
regional warehouses.  MNF-I, which is providing technical 
assistance to the Supreme Council on Elections Security, says 
this contract should be in place sometime around mid-May. 
There is debate about whether or not IHEC should proceed with 
the voter registration exercise if the Council of 
Representatives (CoR) has not passed an election law.  There 
is the small possibility that if IHEC proceeds absent a law 
and the voter eligibility criteria changes radically, the VRE 
would have to be conducted a second time, delaying elections. 
 
¶8.  (C)  Lasham laid out the election timeline assuming the 
voter registration exercise begins on time. 
-- June 1-30: voter registration update period 
-- August 1-10: second voter registry display period. 
-- August 10-24: appeal period 
-- September 1: final voter registry complete 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
¶9.  (C)  While real progress is being made on the voter 
registration exercise, we do not believe Iraq is out of the 
woods yet in overcoming obstacles to holding provincial 
elections by October 1.  IHEC is not confident the CoR can 
pass a law in a timely manner.  The version of the draft law 
approved by the Council of Ministers on May 27 and which will 
be considered (and possibly receive its first reading) by the 
CoR on May 6 contains provisions contrary to some strongly 
held positions by some of the political blocs in the CoR (an 
analysis of the draft law will be sent septel).  The 
possibility of a prolonged political debate cannot be ruled 
out, and could be healthy.  Aside from the law, the election 
deadline also runs into Ramadan and Eid-al-Fitr, which could 
slow down progress.  Given the number of internally displaced 
persons (IDPs), it is hard to imagine that the second voter 
registry display and appeals process can be completed in less 
than 30 days.  While publicly adhering to the much-touted 
October 1 deadline, we believe the actual election will 
probably take place closer to November 1.  End Comment. 
BUTENIS