Shafaq News - Baghdad

Four people were sentenced to six months in prison for purchasing voter registration cards in Baghdad, the Iraqi Supreme Judicial Council announced on Monday.

In a statement, the Council reported that Baghdad’s Al-Adhamiya Misdemeanor Court convicted the defendants under Article 32 of the Iraqi Parliamentary Elections Law, underscoring that the trade of voter registration cards remains a persistent issue in Iraq.

The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) noted that about 30 million citizens are eligible to vote, yet its data shows that only around 21.4 million are currently registered and hold valid voting cards. This includes approximately 20 million registered for general voting and 1.3 million for special voting by security personnel, displaced persons, patients, and inmates.

Read more: Elections on schedule, legitimacy in doubt: Iraq heads toward November vote