2025 Elections: General voting begins
Shafaq News – Baghdad
Voting started across Iraq on Tuesday morning as millions of citizens head to polling stations to choose a new 329-member Council of Representatives, the country’s main legislative body.
Polls opened at 7:00 a.m. and will close at 6:00 p.m., under the supervision of the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC).
According to IHEC, Iraq has 21,404,291 registered biometric voters, including 20,063,773 set to take part in the general vote across 18 provinces. Preparations include over 8,000 polling centers and thousands of press and monitoring facilities.
The contest includes 31 coalitions, 38 political parties, and 75 independent lists competing under the proportional representation system.
The High Security Committee for Elections said that all military and police units have been placed on high alert, with about 170,000 personnel deployed nationwide to secure polling centers and vital facilities. A blanket ban on drones is in force from 7 to 12 November, along with restrictions on heavy trucks entering city centres near voting areas.
Authorities have also established a cybersecurity committee to monitor online activity, prevent voter-card trafficking, and coordinate with IHEC to safeguard electoral data from digital interference.
More than 300 international observers and 1,500 journalists have been accredited to monitor the elections.
The vote follows Sunday’s special voting, in which members of the security forces, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and detainees cast their ballots.
Read more: Iraq’s 2025 poll: +21M voters, new law, fading monitors, and fierce bloc rivalries
The final results are expected to be announced within 24 hours after the close of polling.
