Vietnam Election a Resounding Success?

By now most have probably seen the info going around regarding the article from NYT September 1967 article in contrast to the Iraq election. Reads like an urban legend but indeed looks like not. The article can be bought for a fee from NYT archives. According to Snopes it's the real McCoy, or perhaps in this case, the real Mohammed.

U.S. Encouraged by Vietnam Vote:
Officials Cite 83% Turnout Despite Vietcong Terror
by Peter Grose, Special to the New York Times (9/4/1967: p. 2)

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3 — United States officials were surprised and heartened today at the size of turnout in South Vietnam's presidential election despite a Vietcong terrorist campaign to disrupt the voting.

According to reports from Saigon, 83 per cent of the 5.85 million registered voters cast their ballots yesterday. Many of them risked reprisals threatened by the Vietcong.

The size of the popular vote and the inability of the Vietcong to destroy the election machinery were the two salient facts in a preliminary assessment of the nation election based on the incomplete returns reaching here.