Shafaq News lens Iraq’s provinces as special voting opens

Shafaq News – Iraq (Updated at 9:28)

Shafaq News correspondents were present across Iraq’s provinces as special voting began early Sunday for more than 1.3 million members of the security and defense institutions, including the Peshmerga.

The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) said voting opened smoothly at 4,501 polling stations nationwide under tight security and full logistical readiness.

Dhi Qar Province

• Eligible voters: 73,605

• Polling centers: 35

Diyala Province

• Eligible voters: more than 67,000

• Polling centers: 41

Al-Sulaymaniyah Province

• Eligible voters: 82,547

• Polling centers: 82

Basra Province

• Eligible voters: 60,270 

• Polling centers: 36

Wasit Province

• Eligible voters: 26,800

• Polling centers: 17

Babil Province

• Eligible voters: 36,830

• Polling centers: 29.

IHEC officials said the special vote proceeded smoothly and on schedule, with early reports from monitoring teams confirming a high level of organization and security across all polling sites.

Read more: Iraq’s 2025 poll: +21M voters, new law, fading monitors, and fierce bloc rivalries