IHEC: Over One Million First-Time Voters Set to Participate in Upcoming Iraqi Elections

PUKMEDIA

IHEC spokesperson Jumana al-Ghalai.

The Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) announced on Wednesday that the number of individuals born after 2007 set to participate in the upcoming elections has surpassed one million voters. It also revealed that the registration of displaced persons will be carried out biometrically within the camps.

At a press conference, IHEC spokesperson Jumana al-Ghalai explained that the update of the voter registry is the first and most essential stage of the electoral process. She highlighted the role of the media as a vital partner in spreading accurate information and raising electoral awareness. She urged all voters to visit registration centres to make necessary changes, such as removing deceased individuals from the list, correcting data, and transferring registrations between or within governorates.

She also stressed the importance of registering security forces, IDPs, and first-time voters, including those born in 2007, whose number now exceeds one million. She noted that the registration of IDPs will take place within the camps, and Sinjar IDPs are entitled to update their biometric data both inside and outside the camps. 

Regarding Iraqis living abroad, she confirmed that the Iraqi electoral law requires them to return to Iraq to update their details and participate in the vote. Under the Iraqi Parliamentary Elections Law No. 12 of 2018, voting is not currently permitted through embassies, and this option has not yet been introduced in the decisions of the Board of Commissioners.

The IHEC reiterated the importance of updating voter data to ensure effective participation in the upcoming elections and encouraged everyone to make use of the allocated period for registration.  



PUKMEDIA