Palmetto Pundit: Election Statistics Reveal Significant Progress

(Via Centcom)

Election Comparison January 30th vs. October 15th

Registered voters - 14.3 million voters registered in Jan. vs. 15.6 million voters registered in Oct.

Numbers of polling centers - 5,677 polling centers in Jan. vs. 5,852 polling centers in Oct. with most of the new centers going to Sunni regions.
* Al Anbar polling centers increased from 33 in Jan. to 171 in Oct. (indications are that more than 200,000 additional people voted in Anbar)
* Ninewah polling centers increased from 88 in Jan. to 230 in Oct. (nearly 400,000 more voted this time)

Poll worker applications increased from 110,000 in Jan. to 450,000 in Oct.

Total poll workers increased from 108,000 in Jan. to 171,000 in Oct.
- Early projections are that more than 60 percent voted (of registered)

Voting Rights Changes Since January
- Iraqi Security Forces guarding polling stations outside their provinces were allowed to vote
- U.S. held detainees that had not been convicted of a crime were allowed to vote

Election Security
- Total attacks in Iraq - 299 attacks on 30 Jan 05 vs. 89 Attacks on 15 Oct. 05
- Total polling place attacks - 108 attacks in 30 Jan 05 vs. 19 Attacks on 15 Oct. 05
- Total number of Civilians killed - 30 Deaths on 30 Jan 05 vs. 3 Deaths on 15 Oct. 05
* Overall 34 deaths on 30 Jan, 10 deaths 15 Oct.
- Total number of suicide bombers - 7 on 30 Jan vs. 0 On 15 Oct. 05

Security Forces
- Ministry of Interior Forces - 79,116 in January 05 vs. 106, 112 in October 05
- Ministry of Defense Forces - 56, 949 in January 05 vs. 93, 959 in October 05

Logistics
- MNF-I moved most of the materials in Jan; Iraqi contractors conducted most of the movement and logistics
- Voting supplies were moved into warehouses three days earlier than in January with no shortages of supplies reported (per IECI press conference)

Overall, the statistics show significant increases in all the right places: Voter participation(notably Sunni participation), polling places, and security forces.

They also show significant decreases in all the right places: total attacks, attacks on polling places, and civilian and overall deaths. There were no suicide bombings as opposed to 7 in January '05.

Some things these statistics don't support: We are losing the War on Terror, this war is another Vietnam, and we are in a quagmire.

To the contrary they show that we are winning the War on Terror and the hearts and minds of the Iraqi People, the terrorist movement is losing support, and the supposed "jihad" is running on fumes.

It's a real shame the Mainstream Media at large doesn't find this to be as newsworthy as destroying Tom Delay or ensuring the Supreme Court doesn't overturn Roe v. Wade.

Tags:Politics,Iraq Elections