Record turnout in Iraq’s special vote surpasses 80%

Shafaq News – Baghdad (Updated at 19:55)

Voter turnout in Iraq’s special voting exceeded 80 percent, Deputy Commander of Joint Operations, Lt. Gen. Qais Al-Muhammadawi announced on Sunday, describing the rate as unprecedented and remarkably high.

Speaking at a press conference in Baghdad after the conclusion of special voting for security forces, Al-Muhammadawi said that personnel whose names did not appear on the special voting lists—whether newly appointed, reinstated, or holding new contracts with the Ministry of Interior—would be granted leave to vote in the general elections. “Eligible voters for the general ballot will receive 48 hours of leave to ensure full participation in the process,” he added.

Counting and manual tabulation of ballots began across Baghdad, the Kurdistan Region, and other Iraqi provinces after the closure of special polling stations, with strict security measures in place.

According to Shafaq News correspondents, the Kurdistan Region recorded the highest turnout, exceeding 97% across Erbil, Duhok, and al-Sulaymaniyah provinces, while central and southern provinces saw participation rates ranging between 50% and 85%.

Special voting for security forces and the Peshmerga began at 7 a.m. on Sunday as part of Iraq’s parliamentary elections. A total of 1,313,980 military voters participated across 809 polling centers and 4,501 polling stations, while 26,538 internally displaced persons voted at 27 centers and 97 stations.

Al-Muhammadawi emphasized that “results of the special voting are not announced publicly but delivered to political entity representatives,” noting that during the general election on Tuesday, all security units will focus on securing electoral districts.

He added that coordination with the Kurdistan Region was “very high,” with joint committees and shared centers transferring electoral materials to the Region. On general voting day, two airports in Kurdistan will be used to transport ballot boxes and memory sticks to Baghdad’s National Center.

Responding to Shafaq News correspondent's question, Al-Muhammadawi said that the technical performance of the security forces during the special voting was “very high” and “the best in recent years.” He described coordination among the forces as “excellent” while emphasizing that efforts must continue to ensure a successful general election.

The official also highlighted that “no curfews or closures of airports and border crossings were imposed on election day,” and confirmed that “no pressure was applied to personnel or officers” during the process.

Read more:Iraq’s 2025 poll: +21M voters, new law, fading monitors, and fierce bloc rivalries