US embassy cable - 05BAGHDAD2495

C O N F I D E N T I A L BAGHDAD 002495 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/14/2025 
TAGS: PGOV, KDEM, IZ, Electoral Commision 
SUBJECT: IECI TO REGISTER NEW VOTERS IN AUGUST 
 
Classified By: A/PolCouns Henry S. Ensher for reasons 
1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
1.  (C) Summary.  Independent Electoral Commission of 
Iraq (IECI) officials told Poloff June 12 they had 
decided that voter registration would be held 
throughout all of Iraq beginning August 1, and last 
four weeks.  During this period, persons who did not 
appear in voter lists on January 30 polling day and 
persons who turned 18 after December 31, 2004 will 
have the opportunity to register at Voter 
Registration Centers.  Since the target audience will 
not receive initial prodding from the Food 
Distribution System, IECI is planning for a vigorous, 
widespread public information campaign.  A general 
timeline on voter registration is in paragraph 5. 
End Summary. 
 
2.  (C) IECI Board of Commissioners decided June 11 
that voter registration would be held throughout all 
of Iraq beginning August 1, lasting for a period of 
four weeks.  Voter registration will be conducted 
primarily through the approximately 550 IECI District 
Electoral Offices (DEO) that will serve as Voter 
Registration Centers (VRC).  Unlike voter 
registration in 2004 that preceded the January 30, 
2005 elections, there will be no pre-printed forms 
distributed to potential voters through the Food 
Ration Centers.  Information relating to new 
registrants and changes to existing records (i.e. 
change of address, deaths) will be captured on a 
single blank form available at the Voter Registration 
Centers. 
 
3.  (C) The target audience for the 2005 voter 
registration program is primarily those people 
presently not on the voter roll.  Specifically, voter 
registration will target: those persons who did not 
find their name on the voting lists at polling 
centers on January 30 polling day; persons who failed 
to register during 2004; and persons who have since 
December 31, 2004, reached 18 years of age.  The 
target audience will also include voters who 
participated in the January 30 election through the 
exceptional provision of same day registration -- as 
in Kirkuk where it is known that as many as 100,000 
persons registered on polling day. 
 
4.  (C) IECI plans to conduct a vigorous public 
information campaign on voter registration that will 
commence no later than two weeks before the start of 
voter registration, and end two weeks after the 
conclusion of voter registration.  Since voters will 
not receive initial prodding from the Food 
Distribution System, the public information campaign 
will be widespread and ubiquitous, and regionally 
specific.  Special attention and resources will be 
placed on areas known to be politically sensitive, 
like Kirkuk. 
 
5.  (C) General timeline for the voter registration 
program: 
 
JUNE 
Week 1-2  Drafting and Approval of Registration 
Regulations 
Week 1-3  Drafting and Approval of Security Plan 
 
JULY 
Week 1-2  Training of DEOs 
Week 3-4  Training of GEOs 
Week 1-4  Delivery of Registration Materials to VRCs 
Week 3  Start Public Information Campaign 
 
AUGUST 
Week 1-4  VOTER REGISTRATION 
 
SEPTEMBER 
Week 1  EXHIBITION AND CHALLENGES 
Week 2  End Public Information Campaign 
 
6.  (U) REO HILLAH, REO BASRAH, REO MOSUL, and REO 
KIRKUK, minimize considered. 
 
 
Jeffrey