Iraqis Vote Today Choosing From a Mind-boggling 14,500 Candidates

At stake in today's elections in Iraq are 440 seats on 14 provincial councils, the equivalent of U.S. state legislatures in Iraq's first election since 2005.

The elections are taking place amid strict security measures to fend off any problems like those that occurred after the last elections. Tensions run high between Sunni and Shiite Arabs, and it’s hoped that the elections will easy Sunni anger and frustration by allowing them to have council seats. The present councils are dominated by Shiites and ethnic Kurds. By Friday night, there was a curfew in place, the airport was closed, voting places were surrounded by razor wire and police patrols were stepped up. Staffan De Mistura, a special envoy from the U.N., said he was confident there would not be a return to the violence that erupted among Arab factions after the previous elections. A large turnout is expected, although it may be a while before the results are in.