IHEC to announce preliminary election results within 24 hours of polls closing

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission said Saturday that preliminary results of the November 11 parliamentary election will be released within 24 hours of the polls closing, while biometric card distribution will continue through election day.

Hassan Hadi Zayer, a member of the commission’s media team, told the Iraqi News Agency that “three batches of biometric cards have been received, including two main shipments totaling 3.5 million cards.” He said “2.3 million cards have been distributed so far, with about 1.2 million still being delivered through registration centers until November 11, as distribution will continue up to the last day of voting.”

Zayer said the law requires results to be announced the next day. “Law No. 4 of 2023, as amended, stipulates that preliminary results be announced 24 hours after the end of voting — at 6 p.m. the following day,” he said. “The electoral devices produce three interim reports — morning, midday, and final — and their results are displayed consecutively before representatives of political entities, civil society organizations, and media outlets.”

He added that “new measures have been introduced this year allowing observers and political party representatives to access results in real time inside polling centers to enhance transparency in the electoral process.”

Iraq’s parliamentary election on Nov. 11 will be held without a curfew or road closures, with authorities pledging unrestricted movement for voters nationwide. The Interior Ministry and the High Security Committee for Elections said more than 7,000 polling centers will be secured and that coordination with the electoral commission will ensure the safe transport of materials and staff.

The move represents a departure from previous elections, when authorities imposed strict travel bans, closed airports and border crossings, and restricted vehicle movement on election day.