The polling boxes for special voting in Iraq were closed on Friday evening, which included members of security forces (excluding the Popular Mobilization Forces), inmates, and internally displaced persons, as part of the early parliamentary elections.
Polling centers opened for special voting at 7:00 AM Baghdad time, marking the first early parliamentary elections in the country since 2003. Special voting includes participants from the security forces, inmates, and the displaced, while the general election is scheduled for next Sunday, with 3,249 candidates competing across 21 alliances and 109 parties.
The number of military voters reached over 1 million and 75 thousand, while voting took place in 595 centers featuring 2,548 stations distributed among provinces. The number of displaced individuals eligible to vote stood at 120,126 across 86 electoral centers, and more than 600 inmates were eligible for special voting.
The Independent High Electoral Commission stated that "over 435,000 voters participated in the special voting by noon," adding that "the turnout rate for special voting in Basra province reached 41% by 12 PM."
The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq reported that "no complaints regarding electoral violations in special voting were registered by any UN observers." A total of 715 international monitors are overseeing the elections across all polling stations.
Prime Minister Kazemi's media office stated that "Kazemi directed members of the security forces not to succumb to any provocations or threats from certain parties aimed at influencing their choices."
