Iraqis yesterday prepared for the country's historic election amid unprecedented security involving curfews, border closures and travel restrictions.
Tomorrow, 15 million voters will choose a 275-member national assembly and 18 provincial assemblies, which it is hoped will spawn democracy in Iraq.
The curfew came into effect yesterday evening, with many Iraqis rushing to buy supplies of food beforehand. Today, travel restrictions to other provinces and the closure of Baghdad international airport will come into effect.
The reason for the intense security measures was made clear yesterday when insurgents continued their attacks on polling stations and security personnel.
Insurgents killed five US soldiers in separate attacks yesterday in Baghdad and blasted more polling stations across the country, sending out a message against participation in the vote.
Militant leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has declared an all-out war on the elections.
Yesterday, his group posted a new message on the Internet, warning Iraqis that they risked shelling or other attacks if they approached polling stations, which it called "the centres of atheism and of vice".
Iraqi officials yesterday announced the arrests of three more purported lieutenants of Zarqawi, including the Jordanian terror mastermind's military adviser and chief of operations in Baghdad.
The fear surrounding the election has led to extraordinary levels of secrecy in an attempt to safeguard the poll.
Candidates have only released their names on an Internet site and the location of the polling centres will not be announced until the morning of the election.
Outside the country, expatriate Iraqis began voting yesterday, urging fellow Iraqis not to be put off by the terrorist threat.
More than 280,000 out of one million eligible Iraqis living in 14 countries have registered to vote.
Security was tight at most polling venues. Police in Jordan, Syria and Turkey closed off roads around voting stations.
"People should not be afraid to vote," said Ms Nassima Barzani (68), proudly clutching an Iraqi flag as she voted in Sydney.
In London, the atmosphere at the Wembley polling station was jubilant.
People applauded as each ballot was cast, with voters proudly showing the purple voting marks on their hands. Iraqi citizens living in Ireland will vote in Britain, where there are three voting centres: Glasgow, Manchester and London.
Many of the coalitions of political parties contesting the elections are divided along religious lines and the largest religious group, the Shias, are expected to gain political dominance.
Several leading Sunni Arab parties are boycotting the poll, claiming that the insurgency in Iraq's Sunni-dominated regions makes it impossible to vote.