IHEC finalizes preparations of November 11 vote in Basra

Shafaq News – Basra

Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has completed all preparations for the November 11 parliamentary elections in Basra, ensuring polling stations are equipped and ready for voters across the province.

IHEC Basra Director Haidar al-Silawi told Shafaq News that the province’s special vote will take place in 36 polling centers, comprising 207 stations and 207 ballot boxes, supported by 621 electronic verification, counting, and monitoring devices, all now fully operational.

He added that the general vote will be conducted in 522 polling centers containing 3,000 stations and ballot boxes, equipped with 9,000 devices for verification and counting. Around 19,000 polling staff have been assigned to manage the process.

Approximately 100,000 observers and political entity representatives will monitor the vote to ensure transparency, al-Silawi said, noting that each polling station has been supplied with 550 ballot papers to accommodate expected voter turnout.

Basra Province, located in Iraq’s far south bordering Kuwait and Iran, has more than 1.6 million voters—predominantly Shia Arabs with Sunni Arab, Christian, Mandaean, and Kurdish minorities—and will elect 25 parliament members, including six women under the quota system.

According to the IHEC, more than 21.4 million Iraqis are registered to vote out of nearly 30 million eligible citizens, with over 7,700 candidates vying for 329 seats in parliament.

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