View source for 2005 Iraqi constitutional referendum

{{more footnotes|date=October 2011}}
{{Infobox referendum
| title =
| date= {{start date|2005|10|15|df=y}}
| country = Iraq
| flag_year = 2004
| yes = 7,742,796
| no = 2,109,495
| invalid = 201809
| electorate = 15568702
| map = 2005 Iraq constitutional referendum results by governorate.svg
| map_caption = Results by governorate<br>
'''Yes''': {{legend0|#B6C8D9|50-60%}}&nbsp;{{legend0|#B6C8D9|60-70%}}&nbsp;{{legend0|#47729E|70-80%}}&nbsp;{{legend0|#2B2457|90-100%}}<br>'''No''': {{legend0|#DEDEBD|50-60%}}&nbsp;{{legend0|#5D5D2D|80-90%}}&nbsp;{{legend0|#32320C|90-100%}}
| mapdivision = [[Governorates of Iraq|governorate]]
}}{{Politics of Iraq}}

The electorate of [[Iraq]] went to the polls on 15 October 2005 to vote in a [[referendum]] on whether or not to ratify the proposed [[constitution of Iraq]]. After 10 days of counting votes, the country's electoral commission announced that the constitution had been approved by a wide margin nationwide. A number of mainly Sunni critics like future deputy prime minister [[Saleh al-Mutlaq]] alleged massive irregularities,<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Steele|first=Jonathan|date=25 October 2005|title=Iraqi constitution yes vote approved by UN|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/oct/26/iraq.unitednations|url-status=live|access-date=6 January 2022|website=The Guardian|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130829185331/http://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/oct/26/iraq.unitednations |archive-date=2013-08-29 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Wong|first=Edward|date=23 October 2005|title=Iraqi Constitution Vote Split on Ethnic and Sect Lines; Election Panel Reports No Major Fraud|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/23/world/middleeast/iraqi-constitution-vote-split-on-ethnic-and-sect-lines.html|url-status=live|access-date=6 January 2022|website=The New York Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191009161808/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/23/world/middleeast/iraqi-constitution-vote-split-on-ethnic-and-sect-lines.html |archive-date=2019-10-09 }}</ref> saying that soldiers broke in to polling stations and changed votes to yes in the crucial province of [[Nineveh Governorate|Nineveh]], which was expected by them to provide the third (and deciding) "no" vote.

==Background and campaign==
Article 61 of Iraq's [[Law of Administration for the State of Iraq for the Transitional Period|Interim Constitution]], in effect since 28 June 2004, laid down the rules for the approval of the [[proposed Iraqi constitution|proposed permanent constitution]]. The proposed constitution would have been approved in the referendum if both a majority of voters nationwide voted "yes" and there were no more than 2 of the country's 18 [[Governorates of Iraq|governorates]] where two-thirds of the voters voted "no." On 2 October 2005, the [[National Assembly of Iraq|National Assembly]] weakened the second requirement such that it would only fail to be fulfilled if two-thirds of ''registered'' voters—rather than actual voters—in three governorates voted "no." Opponents of the Draft Constitution reacted angrily to this reinterpretation of Article 61 of the Interim Constitution. Critics had also pointed out that such an interpretation reads the term "voter" differently in both requirements; the first requirement is still simply fulfilled if a majority of actual voters nationwide votes yes. After much international criticism, the decision was reversed on 5 October.

The possibility of veto by supermajorities of three or more governorates was originally written into the interim constitution to ensure that the permanent constitution would be acceptable to Iraq's [[Kurdish people|Kurdish]] minority. However, support for the constitution was weakest among Iraq's [[Sunni Islam|Sunni]] [[Arab]] community, and some observers thought that the Sunni vote would result in the constitution's rejection. While the exact ethnic distribution of the Iraqi population by governorate is unknown, because the country had not had an official census for 15 years, governorates that include substantial Sunni populations include [[Baghdad Governorate|Baghdad]], [[Al Anbar Governorate|Al Anbar]], [[Saladin Governorate|Salah ad Din]], [[Nineveh Governorate|Nineveh]] and [[Diyala Governorate|Diyala]]. In the event, Al Anbar, Saladin, and Nineveh all saw majorities vote against ratification, though the vote in Nineveh did not result in the two-thirds "no" supermajority required to scuttle the constitution.

==Conduct==
Voting took place as planned on 15 October. All civilian cars were banned from streets due to heavy security. Attacks against polling stations were reported in Bagdad, with low casualties.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Wong|first=Edward|date=15 October 2005|title=Iraqis Vote on New Constitution|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/15/world/middleeast/iraqis-vote-on-new-constitution.html|url-status=live|access-date=6 January 2022|website=The New York Times|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529183022/http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/15/world/middleeast/iraqis-vote-on-new-constitution.html |archive-date=2015-05-29 }}</ref> Initially, Iraqi election officials had hoped that results of the balloting would be made public by 19 October. On 17 October, however, election officials announced that questions concerning the turnout in some provinces required that the vote be audited, which delayed release of the final figures. A sandstorm in central Iraq has also contributed to the delay. Although Sunni politician Saleh al-Mutlaq has alleged fraud, election monitors from the [[United Nations]] said that the vote "went well."<ref name=":0" />

During this election, security detainees held by coalition forces and the Ministry of Interior were given the opportunity to vote. This is the first time in the modern history of the Middle East that detainees of this nature were allowed to vote in any election.

==Results==
On 25 October, Electoral Commission officials released the final results, which indicated that the constitution had been approved. Overall, 79% of voters backed the charter and 21% opposed it. Of 18 governorates, only two recorded "No" votes greater than two thirds—one province short of a veto.

{{Referendum results
|for=7742796
|against=2109495
|invalid=201089
|electorate=15568702
|source=[https://www.electionguide.org/elections/id/17/ IFES]
}}

===By governorate===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
! Governorate !! Demographics !! Votes !!  % For||% Against
|-
|1 [[Baghdad Governorate|Baghdad]]
||Capital and surrounding area
|align=right|2,120,615
|bgcolor=#00FF00 align=right|77.7
|align=right|22.3
|-
|2 [[Salah ad Din Governorate|Salah ad Din]]
||Sunni Arab majority, claimed partly by, but not yet part of, [[Kurdistan Autonomous Region]]
|align=right|510,152
|align=right|18.25
|bgcolor=#FF0000 align=right|81.75
|-
|3 [[Diyala Governorate|Diyala]]
||Sunni Arab majority, claimed partly by, but not yet part of, [[Kurdistan Autonomous Region]]
|align=right|476,980
|bgcolor=#00FF00 align=right|51.27
|align=right|48.73
|-
|4 [[Wasit Governorate|Wasit]]
||Shi'a Arab majority
|align=right|280,128
|bgcolor=#00FF00 align=right|95.7
|align=right|4.3
|-
|5 [[Maysan Governorate|Maysan]]
||Shi'a Arab majority
|align=right|254,067
|bgcolor=#00FF00 align=right|97.79
|align=right|2.21
|-
|6 [[Basra Governorate|Al Basrah]]
||Shi'a Arab majority
|align=right|691,024
|bgcolor=#00FF00 align=right|96.02
|align=right|3.98
|-
|7 [[Dhi Qar Governorate|Dhi Qar]]
||Shi'a Arab majority
|align=right|462,710
|bgcolor=#00FF00 align=right|97.15
|align=right|2.85
|-
|8 [[Al Muthanna Governorate|Al Muthanna]]
||Shi'a Arab majority
|align=right|185,710
|bgcolor=#00FF00 align=right|98.65
|align=right|1.35
|-
|9 [[Al Qadisyah Governorate|Al Qadisyah]]
||Shi'a Arab majority
|align=right|297,176
|bgcolor=#00FF00 align=right|96.74
|align=right|3.32
|-
||10 [[Babil Governorate|Babil]]
||Shi'a Arab majority
|align=right|543,779
|bgcolor=#00FF00 align=right|94.56
|align=right|5.44
|-
||11 [[Karbala Governorate|Al Karbala]]
||Shi'a Arab majority
|align=right|264,674
|bgcolor=#00FF00 align=right|96.58
|align=right|3.42
|-
||12 [[Najaf Governorate|An Najaf]]
||Shi'a Arab majority
|align=right|299,420
|bgcolor=#00FF00 align=right|95.82
|align=right|4.18
|-
||13 [[Al Anbar Governorate|Al Anbar]]
||Sunni Arab majority
|align=right|259,919
|align=right|3.04
|bgcolor=#FF0000 align=right|96.96
|-
||14 [[Nineveh Governorate|Nineveh]]
||Mostly Sunni Arabs, claimed partly by, but not yet part of, [[Kurdistan Autonomous Region]]
|align=right|718,758
|align=right|44.92
|bgcolor=#FF0000 align=right|55.08
|-
||15 [[Dohuk Governorate|Dahuk]]
||Part of [[Kurdistan Autonomous Region]]
|align=right|389,198
|bgcolor=#00FF00 align=right|99.13
|align=right|0.87
|-
||16 [[Arbil Governorate|Arbil]]
||Part of [[Kurdistan Autonomous Region]]
|align=right|830,570
|bgcolor=#00FF00 align=right|99.36
|align=right|0.64
|-
||17 [[Kirkuk Governorate|At Ta'min]] (now Kirkuk)
||Claimed by, but not yet part of, [[Kurdistan Autonomous Region]]
|align=right|542,688
|bgcolor=#00FF00 align=right|62.91
|align=right|37.09
|-
||18 [[As Sulaymaniyah Governorate|As Sulaymaniyah]]
||Part of [[Kurdistan Autonomous Region]]
|align=right|723,723
|bgcolor=#00FF00 align=right|98.96
|align=right|1.04
|- class=sortbottom
|colspan=2|'''Total'''
|align=right|'''9,852,291'''
|bgcolor=#00FF00 align=right|'''78.59'''
|align=right|'''21.41'''
|}

==Aftermath==
With the approval of the constitution, elections for a permanent government must be held no later than 15 December 2005, with the new government assuming office no later than 31 December 2005. If the constitution had been rejected, the National Assembly would have been dissolved, and a new transitional government would have been elected to attempt to write another permanent constitution.

==See also==
{{wikinews|has=multiple news articles relating to this article:| Iraq ballots to be audited due to voting "anomalies"| Iraq counting ballots}}
*[[Federalism in Iraq]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/07/AR2005090702086.html Iraq's Sunnis Register to Vote in Droves] ''([[The Washington Post]],'' 8 September 2005)
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4309164.stm UN condemns Iraq charter change] ([[BBC News]], 4 October 2005)
*[https://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051015/wl_nm/iraq_dc_47;_ylt=Aklf07GXghG74YaDWyriKXEUewgF;_ylu=X3oDMTA2ZGZwam4yBHNlYwNmYw-- Iraqis vote on new constitution; few attacks] ''[[Reuters]]'' October 15, 2005
*[http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/forumy/2005/10/iraqi-constitution-what-would-approval.php The Iraqi Constitution: What Would Approval Really Mean?] [[JURIST]]
*[https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051016/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_051016140752;_ylt=AtoFoMoSILCzEbYKOV996ShX6GMA;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl Iraq Charter Seems Assured of Approval] [[Associated Press]] October 16, 2005
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4351680.stm Iraq result delay over fraud fear] [[BBC]] October 17, 2005
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4374822.stm  Iraq voters back new constitution] [[BBC News|BBC]] October 25, 2005
*[http://www.vnutz.com/content/iraqi_referendum Soldier's firsthand photo essay of Baghdad's Referendum Vote on October 15th] by Matthew Vea
*[https://archive.today/20130416041404/http://www.usip.org/publications/iraqs-constitutional-process-ii-opportunity-lost Iraq's Constitutional Process II: An Opportunity Lost] [[U.S. Institute of Peace]] Special Report, December 2005

{{Iraqi elections}}
{{Iraqi Kurdistan elections}}

[[Category:2005 referendums]]
[[Category:2005 elections in Iraq|Constitutional referendum]]
[[Category:Constitution of Iraq]]
[[Category:Referendums in Iraq]]
[[Category:Constitutional referendums]]
[[Category:October 2005 in Iraq]]
[[Category:Politics of the Iraq War]]