SCHR forecasts over 50% turnout for Iraq’s November elections

Shafaq News – Baghdad

Voter turnout in Iraq’s upcoming November 11 parliamentary elections is expected to exceed 50%, the Strategic Center for Human Rights (SCHR) projected on Saturday.

SCHR Deputy Head Hazem al-Rudaini stated that the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has approved 7,926 candidates—5,701 men and 2,225 women—representing a nearly 250% increase from the 3,227 who ran in 2021.

“This level of participation is likely to energize voters nationwide,” al-Rudaini said, noting that turnout will now be calculated based solely on biometric registrations under Law No. 4 of 2023. Iraq’s biometric voter base currently includes about 22 million citizens.

In contrast, turnout in 2021 was measured against a broader pool of 25 million, which included both biometric and non-biometric registrations under the previous system, he explained.