SULAIMANI (ESTA) — Soldiers, prisoners and displaced people voted in special early polls in Iraq on Friday, two days ahead of national poll.
Polling stations opened their door for voters at 07:00 a.m. on Friday and voting will continue until 06:00 p.m., according to Esta Media Network’s reporters.
As of midday, voter turnout across Iraq for the special voting period has reached 36 percent, according to the electoral commission.
Esta Media Network reporters said as of 1 p.m. on Friday, the turnout had reached 30% in Erbil, 42% in Sulaimani, 41% in Duhok and 40% in Kirkuk.
Around 1.2 million members of the Iraqi and Kurdish forces as well as displaced persons and prisoners will take part in a special voting on Friday, according to Iraq’s electoral commission.
Spokesperson of Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) Jumana al-Ghalay said more than 1,195,000 will cast votes in 2,086 polling stations across the country.
As many as 559 polling stations will be opened for 1,075,727 members of Iraqi and Kurdish forces, al-Ghalay told Esta Media Network.
Up to 120,028 displaced persons who are sheltered in 27 camps in Duhok, Erbil, Sulaimani and Nineveh will be able to vote in 89 polling places, she said.
The commission’s spokesperson added that 617 prisoners whose prison term is not more than five years will vote in six polling stations.
Iraqi voters are to elect a new parliament on Sunday in the fifth such vote since a U.S.-led invasion toppled dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003.
This year nationals living abroad will not be voting.
A total of 329 seats are up for grabs in the election, which was moved forward from 2022 as a concession to youth-led pro-democracy protests that erupted in late 2019.
There are fears voter turnout could drop below the 44.5 percent figure registered in 2018.
More than 25 million citizens are eligible to vote. They are supposed to present a biometric card for what was conceived as a fully electronic voting process.
More than 3,240 candidates are in the running, including 950 women.
One quarter of seats are reserved for female candidates, and nine for minorities including Christians and Yazidis.
*This story was updated at 05:16 p.m. EBL time
