Erbil hosts forum on Kurdistan's Parliamentary Elections, focuses on voting and counting methods
Shafaq News/ On Wednesday, a group of academic figures and election experts participated in a forum discussing the upcoming parliamentary elections in the Kurdistan Region, with key discussions centered around voting procedures and ballot counting methods.
The event, held in Erbil, and titled "Parliamentary Elections in the Kurdistan Region: Tools and Goals," addressed many aspects of the election, particularly the significance of voting for the region's future.
One of the primary topics was the new procedures introduced by Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), including the simultaneous use of manual and electronic vote-counting methods.
In June, President Nechirvan Barzani issued a Regional decree setting October 20, 2024, as the official date for the Kurdistan parliamentary elections.
The October vote is expected to elect 100 new lawmakers representing the governorates of Iraqi Kurdistan: Erbil (34 seats, including one for Christians and one for Turkmen), Halabja (three seats), Al-Sulaymaniyah (38 seats, including one for Christians and one for Turkmen), and Duhok (25 seats, including one for Christians).
According to the Electoral Commission, a total of 1,190 candidates are running in the upcoming elections. These candidates are distributed across two coalitions, 13 parties, and include 85 independents, alongside 39 candidates representing minority groups, forming a total of 139 electoral lists.
The overall number of eligible voters amounts to 2,899,878. Of this total, 2,683,618 are registered for general voting, while 215,960 are listed for special voting.
