Thousands of security personnel, as well as inmates from prisons and hospitals in Iraq, participated today, Saturday, in the provincial council elections. The voter turnout reached approximately 44% of eligible voters, and the electoral commission confirmed that the special voting day "proceeded without any malfunctions in its equipment." In addition to security personnel, the commission opened polling centers in displacement camps in the north and west of the country, but the turnout there was low, according to indicators shared by local observers. The electoral commission stated in a press release that the voting machines were programmed to close at 6 PM local time, and the voting time could not be extended. The voter turnout in the elections, close to the polling station closures, was about 44%, according to a statement issued by the "Election Monitoring" coalition. With the voting time concluded, the commission announced that it had "started the counting and sorting process, before transmitting the data to the national center."
From a security standpoint, authorities imposed strict measures around polling stations and at city entrances. Although a full curfew was not announced, motorbikes and large vehicles were prohibited from operating during specific times of the day. The head of the Supreme Electoral Security Committee, Lieutenant General Qais Al-Mohamadi, stated today, Saturday, that all security forces were directed to polling stations across Iraq, and the committee's plan was flexible, allowing security forces to cast their votes comfortably. Additionally, the Communications and Media Commission announced the tally of violations recorded in media institutions on the first day of the electoral silence, which amounted to 17 violations.
