IECI TO REGISTER NEW VOTERS IN AUGUST

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
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