Iraq clamped tough security measures across the country on Friday, sealing land borders and curbing travel to foil insurgents bent on wrecking Sunday's election. (Reuters)

The first votes in Iraq's Transitional National Assembly Elections are set to take place on Friday, but some former workers at metro Detroit's polling center have plans to disrupt the voting, according to Local 4 sources. More than 300 of the original 500 workers were fired this week from the polling center in Southgate. Sources told Local 4 there was nearly a riot when the workers were ordered out of the building. (Local 4 News, Detroit)

Before the weekend's over, nearly 26,000 Iraqis from coast to coast will have the chance to cast absentee ballots in their homeland's first free elections in more than 50 years. (AP)

Similarities seen in Iraqi, British vote. The elections were dominated by calls for a boycott, religious edicts prohibiting voting and accusations of foreign meddling, including by a dominating superpower. But this wasn't just Iraq over the last few weeks - it was Iraq from the 1920s to 1958 as well. (AP)

[an invasion of another kind -ed.] American television networks have all sent their top anchors to Iraq this week to cover Sunday's elections. (Boston Globe)

Editorial: Iraq's fateful vote. (Toronto Star)