Special voting for forces and displaced in Iraq parliamentary polls begins

"Members of Iraq's security forces and its internally displaced population have begun casting their ballots in the parliamentary elections the sixth since a United States-led invasion toppled longtime ruler Saddam Hussein in 2003. Polls opened at 7am (04:00 GMT) on Sunday for 1.3 million members of the security forces at 809 polling centres and will close at 6pm (15:00 GMT) before they are deployed for security purposes on the election day on Tuesday."

"Nearly 21 million Iraqis are eligible to vote on Tuesday across 4,501 polling stations nationwide, the INA said. More than 7,750 candidates, nearly a third of them women, are running for the 329-seat parliament. Under the law, 25 percent of the seats are reserved for women, while nine are allocated for religious minorities. The current parliament began its term on January 9, 2022, and will last four years, ending on January 8, 2026."

"An old electoral law, revived in 2023, will apply to the ongoing elections, with many seeing it as favouring larger parties. While about 70 independents won in the 2021 vote, only 75 independents are contesting this year. Observers also fear that turnout might dip below the record low of 41 percent in 2021, reflecting voters' apathy and scepticism in a country marked by entrenched leadership and allegations of mismanagement and endemic corruption."

Nearly 1.3 million security personnel and more than 26,500 internally displaced people were eligible to vote early at designated polling centres ahead of the parliamentary elections. Early voting opened at 07:00 local time for security forces across 809 centres and closed at 18:00 before redeployment for election-day duties. Nearly 21 million voters are eligible nationwide across 4,501 stations. More than 7,750 candidates, about one third women, contest 329 seats with 25 percent reserved for women and nine for religious minorities. A revived 2023 electoral law appears to favour larger parties. Observers fear turnout could drop below 41 percent amid accusations of corruption, vote-buying, and the disqualification of 848 candidates.

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