TIKRIT, Iraq, Jan. 30 (Xinhuanet) -- Hours into Iraq's historic elections on Sunday, few voters have turned up in Salahaldin province, in which Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit is situated.

    "The turnout was very low during the past few hours in Tikrit, Dujail, Balad and Tuz, much lower than expected," a source in the electoral body told Xinhua.

    "In addition, no voters showed up in Baiji, Samarra and Dour," said the source, who declined to be identified.

    The cities of Dujail and Balad have mixed population of Shiites and Sunnis, while Tuz has a mosaic of Kurds, Arabs and Turkmen.

    In Tikrit, some 170 km north of Baghdad, 75 percent of the voting stations have not been visited till now.

    Senior officials of Tikrit were the first to vote on Sunday, but followed by few people.

    Abdullah Hussein Jibbara, deputy governor of the governorate, predicted that more than 25 percent of the voters would defy the death threats and go to cast ballots.

    "We expect the participation would be between 25 and 40 percent," Jibbara told Xinhua Saturday, adding that the participation in distant areas populated with Shiites, Turkmen, or Kurds would be decisive for the total turnout.

    The polls opened nationwide at 7 a.m. (0400 GMT) Sunday and were due to stay open until 5 p.m. (1400 GMT). An estimated 100,000 policemen and soldiers were deployed across the country and traffic restrictions were imposed in many cities to ensure a smooth process.

    Iraqi voters will elect a 275-seat national assembly, which will in turn choose a transitional government and draft a permanent constitution to pave the way for a new government and a new parliament to be elected by the end of this year.

    Iraqi officials expect a turnout of at least 50 percent to lend legitimacy to the results. But many Iraqis, intimidated by insurgent groups which vowed to turn the elections into a bloodbath, may keep away from polling stations for fear of life. Enditem