Iraqis who collect their voter cards before October 6 will receive free mobile phone credit 

Under the arrangement, once the voter receives their voter card from any IHEC office, they will automatically receive 10,000 IQD in phone credit. 
Stacks of Iraqi voter cards. (Photo: UNAMI)
Stacks of Iraqi voter cards. (Photo: UNAMI)

ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) – Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) announced that it will send 10,000 Iraqi dinars (approximately $7) in mobile phone credit to Iraqis who collect their voter cards by October 6. 

Under the arrangement, once the voter receives their voter card from any IHEC office, they will automatically receive 10,000 IQD in phone credit. 

IHEC is offering this free phone credit in order to encourage more Iraqis to register to vote in the upcoming Iraqi parliamentary elections, which are scheduled to take place on October 10. 

Iraqi and Kurdish politicians, including incumbent Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and the Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, are urging citizens to go out and vote on October 10 so there isn’t another low turnout. 

The last Iraqi parliamentary elections, held in May 2018, saw a record low voter turnout, with only 44 percent of those eligible to vote casting their ballots. In all previous elections held in Iraq since 2003, at least 60 percent of voters participated.