I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of freedoms of the people by gradual and silent encroachment of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations. (attributed)

UPDATE: Polling is over and the counting has begun. According to Farid Ayar, one of seven commissioners on the Electoral Commission;

Turnout in Iraq's constitutional referendum may have reached 10 million voters, or nearly two thirds of those registered... "I think it could be more than 10 million, I think, I hope," If 10 million of the eligible 15.5 million voters cast ballots, that would give a turnout of around 65 percent, higher than the 58 percent recorded in January's election, the first held after after Saddam Hussein's overthrow.

Ayar said voting had gone well, despite hiccups in some areas, particularly Anbar province, west of Baghdad, where gunmen exchanged fire with U.S. and Iraqi troops in the city of Ramadi. Anbar is the heart of the Sunni Arab insurgency. "In Anbar, we couldn't open all the centres. There were 207 centres that were supposed to open there and I think we opened 144," Ayar said. Later he said around 5,850 of the planned 6,230 polling sites nationwide had opened. "But the problems were not very big and we are very happy that we finished the process without hearing that anybody was killed in the streets."

At a news conference, the Electoral Commission officials said eight of Iraq's 18 provinces saw turnout above 66 percent. In seven provinces, turnout was between 33 and 66 percent.