Shafaq News/ Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) announced that the number of eligible voters for the upcoming October 2025 elections reached 28 million.

This follows the inclusion of nearly one million new voters, born in 2007, who have now reached the legal voting age of 18. The development has drawn attention to the trends in voter turnout and participation in Iraq's elections since the first one in 2005, as reported by Shafaq News Agency.

The IHEC's recent announcement highlights the increasing number of eligible voters, reflecting demographic growth. However, the agency's methodology for counting eligible voters has sparked controversy, as it only considered those who had updated their electoral information, rather than including all individuals who reached the legal age of voting.

First Election in 2005: Historic High Turnout

Iraq's first legislative election, held in 2005, saw the participation of over 14 million voters, from a population estimated at approximately 27 million. The election achieved the highest voter turnout to date, with a rate of 76%. At that time, Iraq’s parliament had 275 seats.

Declining Turnout in Subsequent Elections

In the 2010 elections, voter participation increased to over 18 million, but turnout dropped to 62.8%. The number of seats in Iraq's parliament also grew to 317. This trend of declining voter turnout continued in the 2014 elections, which saw a turnout of 60%, with over 20 million voters participating, while the number of parliamentary seats was raised again, reaching 328.

The Setback in 2018

The 2018 elections saw a significant decline in voter participation. Despite more than 24 million eligible voters, the turnout dropped sharply to just 44%. The number of seats in the parliament increased by one, reaching 329. The Low Turnout in 2021 The 2021 early elections reflected a similar trend, with voter turnout falling further to just 41%. Although more than 25 million voters were eligible, the number of parliamentary seats remained unchanged.

These elections were notably marked by the IHEC’s controversial decision to count only those voters who had updated their electoral data, which led to widespread debate regarding the accuracy of the electorate's figures. As Iraq heads toward its next parliamentary elections, the trends in voter participation since 2005 raise concerns about electoral engagement and the long-term validity of Iraq’s democratic processes.