Iraq to Launch Special Voting on November 9 for Security Forces and Displaced Persons

Peregraf– Special voting for Iraq’s sixth parliamentary elections will begin tomorrow, November 9, 2025, at 7:00 a.m. and continue until 6:00 p.m., the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) confirmed.

Speaking to Peregraf, IHEC spokesperson Jumana Ghalai said that more than 1.3 million military personnel are eligible to participate in the early vote. Special voting for security forces will be conducted across 809 polling centers and 4,501 polling stations.

In addition, 26,538 internally displaced persons (IDPs) are registered to take part in special voting. They will vote at 27 polling centers comprising 97 polling stations.

The special voting process allows security personnel and displaced voters to take part ahead of the general ballot scheduled for November 11.

Parliamentary Race

Across Iraq, 6,896 candidates are competing for 329 seats in the next parliament, including 302 candidates running in the Kurdistan Region.
Of the total seats, 46 are allocated to Erbil, Sulaimani, and Duhok, including two Christian quota seats—one in Erbil and one in Duhok.

More than 20 million Iraqis are eligible to vote in the general election. 

According to official data provided by IHEC to Peregraf, the number of special voters for Iraq’s sixth parliamentary elections is as follows:

Election Silence in Effect

Iraq entered an election silence period on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at 7:00 a.m. IHEC has instructed all political actors to halt campaign activity throughout this phase.

IHEC official Hassan Hadi Zayer said that any campaigning—whether through media, public events, or social platforms—will constitute a violation of election rules. Offenders may face fines, administrative measures, or even exclusion from the race for serious breaches.

IHEC spokesperson Emad Jamil said excluded candidates will have their votes fully annulled, even if they receive enough ballots to win.

Voter Registration

Iraq’s election campaign period began on October 3. This year’s vote is expected to be among the largest in the country’s history, with 21,404,291 biometric-registered citizens eligible to participate.
The Kurdistan Region accounts for 3,068,384 voters, representing 14.3% of the electorate.

IHEC urged parties and candidates to respect the regulations to ensure a fair and transparent process that reflects the will of Iraq’s citizens.