Overall turnout is estimated to be more than 60%, higher in some key Sunni areas. Which has raised some concern about how all those Sunnis voted:
Sunni Arabs voted in surprisingly high numbers on Iraq’s new constitution Saturday, many of them hoping to defeat it in an intense competition with Shiites and Kurds over the shape of the nation’s young democracy after decades of dictatorship. With little violence, turnout was more than 66 percent in the three most crucial provinces.
The constitution still seemed likely to pass, as expected. But the higher-than-forecast Sunni turnout made it possible the vote would be close or even go the other way and cast doubt on U.S. hopes that the charter would succeed in luring Sunnis away from the insurgency.
Low Sunni turnout would have been worrisome, because it would have shown that Sunnis are determined to boycott Iraq’s nascent democracy. Now high Sunni turnout is worrisome, because they might actually have enough votes to win in the necessary provinces. When it comes to Iraq, it’s hard to win.
These Iraqis are waiting to vote in Mosul:
UPDATE: Austin Bay and Roger Simon have more.
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