Iraqis voted Tuesday in a parliamentary election conducted under heavy security while the influential Sadrist Movement boycotted the polls, depressing turnout in areas such as Sadr City. About 21.4 million of an estimated 32 million eligible voters updated their information and received voter cards, down from roughly 24 million in 2021. Security was heightened amid wider regional tensions, and the Supreme Judicial Council said the chosen election date may be unconstitutional.
Iraq Votes Under Heavy Security as Sadrist Movement Boycotts, Suppressing Turnout
Iraqis voted Tuesday in a parliamentary election conducted under heavy security while the influential Sadrist Movement boycotted the polls, depressing turnout in areas such as Sadr City. About 21.4 million of an estimated 32 million eligible voters updated their information and received voter cards, down from roughly 24 million in 2021. Security was heightened amid wider regional tensions, and the Supreme Judicial Council said the chosen election date may be unconstitutional.
11:57 AM, 11/11/2025Politics
BAGHDAD — Iraqis went to the polls Tuesday in a parliamentary election held under heavy security and shadowed by a boycott from the influential Sadrist Movement, depressing turnout in several areas.
A total of 8,703 polling stations opened nationwide for the general election. Members of the security forces and displaced people living in camps cast early ballots on Sunday. Journalists who visited multiple polling places reported thin turnout in the early hours; authorities said initial results were expected the following day.
Election authorities say 21.4 million of roughly 32 million eligible voters updated their information and obtained voter cards ahead of the vote, a decline from about 24 million registrants in the 2021 parliamentary election.
Regional context and security concerns
The vote comes amid heightened regional tensions since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks on southern Israel and ensuing conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, along with periodic escalations involving Israel and Iran-aligned groups. U.S. pressure on Baghdad to rein in Iran-aligned armed factions has also increased, and some factions with ties to Iran have candidates on the ballot.
Sadrist boycott and Sadr City
The Sadrist Movement, led by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, has urged supporters to stay away from the vote. Al-Sadr’s bloc won the largest number of seats in 2021 but later withdrew from parliament amid failed talks to form a government and persistent tensions with rival Shiite parties.
Security was especially tight at the entrance to Sadr City, the sprawling Sadrist stronghold on Baghdad’s outskirts. Iraqi special forces and federal police were deployed across the neighborhood, with armored vehicles and Humvees lining main roads and heavily armed troops on guard. Many shops were closed and posters of slain Sadr loyalists lined walls.
Polling stations in Sadr City were largely quiet. At one station serving 3,300 registered voters, station director Ahmed al‑Mousawi said that a few hours into balloting fewer than 60 people had cast ballots.
'The Sadrist boycott has had a major impact,' al‑Mousawi said. 'In previous elections there used to be long lines from the early morning hours, but today the difference is dramatic.'
Voter Sabih Dakhel, 54, who arrived with his wife, said he voted in the hope that new officials might improve living conditions. 'We were able to vote freely today, but the Sadrist boycott has deeply affected participation,' Dakhel said. 'Sadr City feels almost like a lockdown because of Muqtada al‑Sadr’s call for his followers to stay home.'
Legal challenge
The election's legality may face challenges: the head of Iraq’s Supreme Judicial Council said in a statement on the council’s website that the date set for Tuesday was unconstitutional, noting the vote had been previously scheduled for Nov. 24.
What to watch next: early results expected soon, potential legal challenges to the vote date, and whether the boycott will reshape coalition-building in Baghdad.