December 11, 2005 

BY SHAMUS TOOMEY Staff Reporter

Beginning Tuesday, Iraqi Americans will flock to eight polling places around the United States to have their say in forming a new Iraqi council of representatives.

In Chicago, the only place to vote is in Skokie -- and Eric Dawoudi, 29, of Schaumburg, will be there.

Dawoudi is a Cleveland-born U.S. citizen, but he is eligible to vote in the Iraqi elections because his father was born in Baghdad.

IRAQI GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS

When: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.
Where: 9131 Niles Center Rd., Skokie.
Who can vote: Iraqi citizens and those eligible to become Iraqi citizens (must be 18 years old by Dec. 31).
Documents needed: Registration card from January elections and photo ID, or two documents to prove identity, age and Iraqi nationality (one must have a recognizable photo). Or documents about yourself and your Iraqi-citizen parents if you were not born in Iraq and do not have Iraqi citizenship.
Documents must be issued by: Any government, not just Iraq; United Nations, U.N. agencies.
What else: Expired documents are acceptable, but the applicant must be recognizable in photo. Photocopies and facsimiles are not acceptable. However, notarized or certified copies are acceptable.
SOURCE: OUT-OF-COUNTRY VOTING PROGRAM

"This is the first opportunity for a country to freely elect its own leaders," Dawoudi said. "It's a momentous occasion, and I'm very excited to be a part of it. It's an historic moment. It's absolutely huge."

This is the second round of elections; the first came in late January. Polling places were available in Rosemont and Skokie then, but 80 percent of voters went to Skokie, and that will be the only polling place this round.

Process simplified

The site, as in January, will be the Chaldo Assyrian Community Center at 9131 Niles Center Rd. Voting will take place from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

During the first round, more than 6,037 people voted in the Chicago area. Far more people are expected to vote this week because it has been made easier -- voters can register and vote on the same day. In January, voters had to pre-register a week before the balloting, leading to heartbreak for some.

"We had to turn away a huge amount of voters last time," said Michael Youash, spokesman for Iraq's Out-of-Country Voting Program. "We're expecting a much higher turnout. We learned a lot from the first round."

Who's eligible to vote

The election is to fill a 275-member parliament, which will then appoint a full-term president and further define the country's fledgling constitution. Voters in the United States will help select representatives for 45 "compensatory seats."

In the Chicago area, the main concentration of Iraqi expatriates is in the Skokie, Morton Grove and Lincolnwood area. There are also pockets in Chicago, Northbrook, Glenview, Elk Grove Village, Des Plaines, Schaumburg and Streamwood. Voters are also expected to come from other states.

Those eligible to vote include Iraqi citizens and those who can attain citizenship -- including people whose fathers are Iraqi citizens. All voters must be at least 18 by Dec. 31.

For people who voted in January, bring your registration receipt and a photo ID -- preferably the one used to register earlier this year.

If you did not vote or lost your receipt, bring at least two documents with your name and date of birth to prove age and Iraqi nationality. One document must have a photo. Voters who are not Iraqi citizens must be able to prove their father's Iraqi citizenship.

For more information, visit www.iraqvote.org.