Iraqis queue to vote at a polling station in the centre of Az Zubayr, southern Iraq. Photograph: Andrew Parsons/AFP/Getty
Under the heading "The people have won", Mohammed and Omar of Iraq the Model write up their experiences of election day. From the beginning, the two find positive signs – from the Iraqi army soldier rebuked by his commander for chanting in support of prime minister Ayad Allawi ("This is Iraq's army, not Allawi's," he is told) to the old woman who ignored the sound of gunshots and explosions to verify her voter details. One of the authors writes that there no bigger victory than the vote.
I walked forward to my station, cast my vote and then headed to the box, where I wanted to stand as long as I could, then I moved to mark my finger with ink, I dipped it deep as if I was poking the eyes of all the world's tyrants.
I put the paper in the box and with it, there were tears that I couldn't hold; I was trembling with joy and I felt like I wanted to hug the box but the supervisor smiled at me and said "brother, would you please move ahead, the people are waiting for their turn".
Not all the reaction is as flowing, Life in Baghdad posts a simple "I did". But fewer words do not mean it is less keenly felt.
