Special voting starts in 14 provinces

BAGHDAD / IraqiNews.com: Special provincial elections began Wednesday morning in Iraq, a precursor to the monumental elections that will be held this weekend in the country. The special voting day allows Iraqi security forces, detainees and hospital patients to cast ballots in the provincial elections. The polls will be held in 14 of 18 provinces. A total of 614998 people are expected to vote in the special election Wednesday, Iraqi election officials said. On Saturday, millions of people are expected to go to the polls, with 14,000 candidates competing for 440 provincial council seats. As they will on Saturday, polls opened at 7 a.m. Wednesday and were to close at 5 p.m. The provincial vote is viewed as a key vote for the country, because Iraqis have not voted since 2005. Only people on foot will be allowed to move freely on election day. Judge Qassem al-Aboudi said at a press conference held earlier in central Baghdad, attended by IraqiNews.com news agency, that the number of voters registered in the Special Voting is 614998, and will vote in 75 electoral centers. SH (S) 1