Early Voting Opens for Iraq’s Security Forces and Displaced Ahead of Pivotal Parliamentary Election

Special early voting begins for security forces and internally displaced voters

Members of Iraq’s security services and thousands of internally displaced people have started casting early ballots ahead of Tuesday’s nationwide parliamentary election — the sixth national vote since the 2003 U.S.-led removal of Saddam Hussein.

Polling opened at 7:00 a.m. local time (04:00 GMT) on Sunday for about 1.3 million security personnel at 809 dedicated centres. These centres will close at 6:00 p.m. local time (15:00 GMT) before the personnel are deployed on duty for the main election day on Tuesday.

In addition, more than 26,500 internally displaced people are eligible to vote early on Sunday at 97 polling stations across 27 locations, the Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported. Interior Minister Abdul Amir al-Shammari told INA the process was proceeding "smoothly and in an organised manner."

On Tuesday, nearly 21 million eligible voters will be able to cast ballots at 4,501 polling stations nationwide, according to INA.

Race details and electoral context

More than 7,750 candidates, nearly one-third of them women, are contesting the 329-seat parliament. The law reserves 25% of seats for women and allocates nine seats to religious minorities. The current legislature began on 9 January 2022 and is due to complete its four-year term on 8 January 2026.

These elections are being held under an older electoral law revived in 2023 that many critics say benefits larger parties. While roughly 70 independents won seats in 2021, only about 75 independents are contesting this year — a shift observers say could affect political diversity in parliament.

Concerns, controversies and key players

Observers have warned turnout could fall below the record-low 41% recorded in 2021 amid voter apathy and scepticism over entrenched leadership, alleged mismanagement and widespread corruption. Authorities and watchdogs have reported widespread accusations of vote-buying; election officials have disqualified 848 candidates, sometimes for opaque reasons including alleged insults to religious rituals or the armed forces.

Past Iraqi elections have seen violence including targeted killings of candidates, attacks on polling places and clashes among rival supporters. Although overall violence has decreased in recent years, a candidate was assassinated during the run-up to this year’s vote.

Influential Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr has urged his supporters to boycott what he calls a "flawed election." His bloc won the largest share of seats in 2021 but later withdrew amid failed government-formation talks and a standoff with rival Shia parties; Sadr has since largely disengaged from the formal political process.

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, elected in 2022 with backing from pro-Iran parties, is seeking a second term and is widely expected to lead a sizeable parliamentary bloc. Other prominent contenders include former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki and Muslim scholar Ammar al-Hakim.

By post-invasion political convention, the prime ministership is held by a Shia Muslim, the speaker of parliament is a Sunni, and the largely ceremonial presidency goes to a Kurd.

Note: All figures and claims are based on official INA reporting and public statements referenced in the original report.