The story: Qatar has held its first-ever polls to fill 30 of the 45 seats in its advisory Shura Council. While the council has limited legislative powers—and despite controversy over the exclusion of Qataris who cannot demonstrate a presence in the country since before 1930—the vote saw high turnout.

The coverage: In an Oct. 2 statement, Qatar’s interior ministry commended the “patriotic spirit” that Qataris exhibited as they participated in the elections. According to the ministry, 63.5 % of eligible voters cast ballots. Most of Qatar’s population of 2.8M is foreign and thus unable to vote...