Kurdistan Region Electoral Board Confirms Full Readiness for Special Voting

PUKMEDIA

Nabard Omar, Head of the Kurdistan Region’s Electoral Board of the IHEC.

The Kurdistan Region's Electoral Board of the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), confirmed that all preparations for election day have been completed, noting that approximately 270,000 voters are set to cast their ballots on Sunday in the special voting process. He also revealed that around 10,000 biometric voter cards remain undistributed.

Nabard Omar, Head of the Kurdistan Region’s Electoral Board, stated during a press conference on Saturday, 8 November 2025, that “all preparations for election day at all polling centres have been finalised, and all necessary materials are in place.”

Omar urged citizens who have not yet collected their biometric voter cards to “visit one of the 170 distribution centres across the Kurdistan Region’s governorates,” adding that “the distribution process will continue until election day.” 

He noted that “approximately 270,000 eligible voters will participate in the special voting process across 204 polling centres and 958 polling stations in the Region’s governorates, under the supervision of local and international observers.”

The head of the Region’s Electoral Board explained that “the ballot paper for special voting differs from that used in the general voting,” and highlighted that “technical issues experienced in previous elections, particularly those related to fingerprint recognition, have been resolved through the adoption of a facial recognition verification system using cameras integrated into verification devices.”

He added that “the Commission has taken control of schools designated as polling centres,” calling on security forces to “maintain cleanliness and safeguard these sites, as classes will resume immediately after election day.”

The campaign silence period officially began across Iraq on Saturday, one day before the start of special voting for the Iraqi parliamentary elections scheduled for Sunday, 9 November 2025, from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (local time).

According to the IHEC, special voting will be held in 809 polling centres comprising 4,501 polling stations nationwide. In addition, internally displaced persons (IDPs) will cast their ballots on the same day at 27 centres and 97 polling stations, with a total of 26,538 registered voters.

Meanwhile the general voting is set to take place on 11 November 2025, two days after the special voting.



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