The early pictures out of Iraq at 1:15am EST on this historic day shows long lines of voters waiting to cast ballots. Voting is being characterized by CNN’s Nick Robertson as "brisk", and interestingly, women voters outnumbering men by 3-1.
The pictures tell the story — and this remarkable event looks like a huge success in the early-going.
Fox News and other outlets are also reporting "heavier than anticipated" turnout.
The White House has also set an excellent expectations bar by noting the voter turnout rate in the 2004 U.S. elections was 60%.