Peregraf
Jumana Ghalai, spokeswoman for the Iraqi High Election Commission (IHEC), announced that voter turnout for the special vote in the Kurdistan Parliament elections reached 97 percent. Speaking to Peregraf, Ghalai confirmed that 208,521 voters cast their ballots out of a total of 215,960 registered voters, marking a significant level of participation in the electoral process.
The special voting process for the Kurdistan Regional parliamentary elections has officially concluded. Polling began at 7:00 AM, with voting machines automatically shutting down at 6:00 PM, marking the close of the ballot boxes.
In an effort to prevent double voting in the upcoming general election of Kurdistan Parliament on October 20, voters’ cards were temporarily collected. Voters were issued receipts, allowing them to reclaim their cards later.
Some issues were reported at polling stations. A small number of voters faced difficulties due to fingerprint recognition failures. The most significant violation observed was the use of mobile phones. Despite IHEC’s strict ban on phones in polling stations, Peregraf reporters in Sulaimaniyah, Erbil, Halabja, and Duhok witnessed security forces using mobile phones while casting their votes.