Iraq deploys forces, bans drones ahead of election day
Shafaq News – Baghdad
Iraq’s High Security Committee for Elections announced new nationwide measures on Saturday to ensure security during the November 11 parliamentary vote.
According to the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), about 21.4 million Iraqis are registered to vote out of nearly 30 million eligible citizens across the country, while more than 7,700 candidates are competing for 329 seats.
Read more: Iraq’s 2025 Parliamentary Elections — What You Need to Know
Under the plan, all security and military units will move to Level C alert, the highest state of readiness. The committee also banned voters from carrying mobile phones or cameras inside polling stations and imposed full or partial curfews in Baghdad and other provinces—excluding the Kurdistan Region—if needed, with approval from the Commander-in-Chief.
Airports, border crossings, and main highways between provinces and the Kurdistan Region will remain open on election day, the statement noted.
The directives also prohibit the use of drones for filming or civilian purposes from November 7 to 12 without prior authorization from the Joint Operations Command. Public gatherings and demonstrations are banned as well from November 6 until further notice unless officially approved.
Authorities will restrict heavy trucks weighing more than five tons from entering city centers—especially near polling sites—from November 8 to 12, and suspend motorcycle traffic. The committee confirmed that election day will be a national holiday, with health, service, and security institutions remaining on duty.
Earlier today, an Iraqi security source told Shafaq News that security forces in Baghdad, Kirkuk, and Diyala deployed at schools designated as polling centers in preparation for elections.
