Iraq opens biometric voter registration, including first-time 2008 cohort

BAGHDAD — Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission launched its biometric voter registration phase Sunday across 1,079 centers nationwide, including for the first time citizens born in 2008, spokesperson Jumana al-Ghalai announced Wednesday.

“The first-time registration process targets voters whose data is listed in the voter register database but who have not previously registered, in addition to those born in 2008 included in this year’s biometric registration,” Ghalai said.

Registration requires ten fingerprints and a personal photo. Accepted documents are limited to the ration card, residence card and national ID; civil status IDs and nationality certificates will not be accepted.

Voters with a ration card select a polling center within the governorate listed on it. Those without one are processed through parental data in the commission’s database, or registered using a national ID and residence card if no parental record exists.

The phase also covers corrections to names, dates of birth and photos, as well as deletions upon submission of proof of death by relatives of the deceased. Security personnel may register or update their data under general procedures, with documentation required for status changes.

Transfers between polling locations are not permitted during this phase and will open in later stages, Ghalai said.

Earlier this month the commission approved adding citizens born in 2008, 2009 and 2010 to the biometric database. The 2008 cohort alone comprises more than 1.12 million newly eligible voters. In the 2025 parliamentary elections, around 12 million voters cast ballots out of approximately 21.4 million registered.