Voting Begins in Iraq’s Sixth Parliamentary Elections Since 2003
Polling stations opened across Iraq on Tuesday morning as voters cast their ballots in the country’s sixth parliamentary elections since 2003.
A total of 7,743 candidates are competing for 329 seats in the Iraqi Council of Representatives, including 3,225 candidates on party lists, 4,443 within coalitions, and 75 running as independents. Of these, 83 seats are reserved for women, in addition to 9 quota seats allocated to minorities.
According to Jumana Al-Ghalai, spokesperson for the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), the number of registered voters stands at 20,063,773, distributed across about 8,703 polling centers containing 39,285 polling stations in 18 provinces, including the cities of the Kurdistan Region.
Al-Ghalai added that “the electronic voting devices will automatically close at 6:00 p.m.,” according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
The special voting process for military personnel, security forces, Peshmerga, and members of the Popular Mobilization Forces was conducted electronically on Sunday, ahead of today’s general civilian vote.
Preliminary results are expected to be announced within 24 hours after the closing of ballot boxes, amid tight security measures aimed at ensuring a smooth and orderly electoral process.
