BAGHDAD, Dec. 12 (Xinhuanet) -- Special voting began Monday in Iraq as hospital patients, prison detainees and security forces went to polling stations to cast their ballots, three days ahead of general elections to be held on Dec. 15.

    Election officials said the first of 1,500 patients at Baghdad's central Yarmouk hospital began voting on Monday.

    Some 1.5 million Iraqi voters living outside the country are to cast their ballots in 15 countries on Tuesday, election officials said. That voting also ends Thursday evening in each of those countries, including the United States, Canada and Australia.

    Tight security measures have been taken to keep the elections run as smoothly as possible during Thursday's main event, officials said.

    Airports and borders will be shut from Wednesday until Friday or Saturday and curfews are to be extended, they said.

    "We are hoping for a calm day as during the referendum," said Interior Minister Baqer Jabur Solagh. Enditem