Iraq’s IHEC to Test National ID Cards on Voting Machines

PUKMEDIA

Iraqi IHEC logo.

Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has announced plans to conduct a simulation to test the use of the national ID card on electronic voting machines.

IHEC spokesperson Jumana al-Ghalai told PUKMEDIA that on Sunday, 6 September 2026, the commission received a number of national ID cards belonging to IHEC staff from the Ministry of Interior’s Directorate of Nationality and Civil Information for testing on the electronic voter verification devices.

Al-Ghalai said the commission would carry out the simulation at a later date, once the voting machines had been reprogrammed by the company responsible for the devices.

The move follows a directive by Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi during a joint meeting between the Ministry of Interior and the IHEC on 25 August, when he called for the unified national ID card to be adopted in the upcoming elections.

The Prime Minister stressed the need to provide all necessary resources to ensure citizens can exercise their right to vote easily and transparently.

However, Al-Ghalai previously told PUKMEDIA that implementing the directive would require an amendment to the election law. She noted that amended Election Law No. 12 of 2018 currently provides for the use of biometric voter cards in electoral processes.

The planned simulation is intended to assess the technical operation of the national ID card on voting machines ahead of any potential changes to the electoral framework.


PUKMEDIA