IRAQIS HOLD ELECTION LOTTERY
In a televised spectacle that had the air of a game show, officials allocated numbers to the 225 parties and coalitions that registered for the ballot, starting from 501 -- in order to avoid repeating numbers used at the last election that voters might already associate with parties.
With so many parties running, memorable numbers are highly prized so certain numbers like 600 and 700 were not used.
The ruling United Alliance, which won nearly half the votes at January elections, struck lucky with the number 555.