Numbers Behind Iraq’s 2025 Election: Millions of Voters, Hundreds Disqualified

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The first phase of Iraq's critical sixth parliamentary elections is set to commence tomorrow, as more than 1.34 million members of the security forces and internally displaced persons will cast their ballots in a nationwide special voting process.

This crucial preliminary stage sets the scene for the general election, a massive democratic undertaking where thousands of candidates are vying for seats in a highly competitive and complex political landscape, a race that has already seen nearly 850 contenders excluded, according to the country's electoral commission.

In a detailed statement provided to the Kurdistan24 website, Jumana al-Ghalay, the spokesperson for the Independent High Electoral Commission of Iraq (IHEC), confirmed the operational details for this pivotal day. She announced that polls for the special voting will open at 7:00 AM on Sunday, November 8, 2025, and will continue for eleven hours, concluding at 6:00 PM the same day. 

This process is specifically designed to accommodate those whose duties on the main election day would otherwise prevent them from participating. Al-Ghalay revealed the precise figures, stating that a total of one million, 313 thousand, and 980 members of the security forces are registered to vote, alongside 26 thousand and 538 displaced individuals.

To facilitate this large-scale operation, an extensive network of polling locations has been established. A total of 809 centers, containing 4,501 polling stations, will be open for security personnel, while the displaced population will be served by 27 dedicated centers comprising 97 polling stations across the country.

Beyond the logistics of the special voting, the IHEC spokesperson also provided a broader overview of the electoral field, highlighting the intensity of the competition. Al-Ghalay indicated that the total number of candidates who initially registered for the election race was a staggering 7,744.

However, she noted that a rigorous vetting process has been in effect, and so far, 848 of those candidates have been excluded from the race for various reasons, leaving a still-crowded field to compete for the seats in the Council of Representatives.

The political and demographic complexity of Iraq is reflected in the distribution of seats, candidates, and voters across its 18 provinces.

Distribution of candidates, number of seats, parties, and alliances by province:

1. Baghdad

Number of seats: 71 (including 17 women's quota, 5 for ethnic/religious components)
Number of candidates: 2299 (1593 men, 706 women)
Number of independent candidates: 5
Number of component candidates: 16
Number of parties and alliances: (12 alliances, 16 parties, 21 individual lists)
Total voters: 4,589,502 voters
General voting: 4,314,866 voters (1,039 centers, 4,333 stations)
Special voting: 274,636 voters (67 centers, 449 stations)

2. Erbil Province

Number of seats: 16 (4 women's quota, 1 Christian)
Number of candidates: 108 (71 men, 37 women)
Number of parties and alliances: (9 parties, 6 individual lists)
Total voters: 1,087,880
General voting: 1,002,087 voters (528 centers, 2,003 stations)
Special voting: 85,793 voters (79 centers, 385 stations)
Voting of the displaced: 547 voters (3 centers, 3 stations)

3. Sulaimani Province

Number of seats: 18 (5 women's quota)
Number of candidates: 136 (99 men, 37 women)
Number of independent candidates: 4
Number of parties and alliances: (9 parties, 4 individual lists)
Total voters: 1,201,658
General voting: 1,119,111 voters (506 centers, 2,200 stations)
Special voting: 82,547 voters (58 centers, 378 stations)
Voting of the displaced: 5 voters (1 center, 1 station)

4. Duhok Province

Number of seats: 12 (3 women's quota, 1 Christian)
Number of candidates: 59 (39 men, 20 women)
Number of independent candidates: 1
Number of component candidates: 4
Number of parties and alliances: (8 parties, 5 individual lists)
Total voters: 778,846
General voting: 722,853 voters (278 centers, 1,396 stations)
Special voting: 55,993 voters (43 centers, 195 stations)
Voting of the displaced: 25,986 voters (23 centers, 93 stations)

5. Nineveh Province

Number of seats: 34 (8 women's quota, 7 components)
Number of candidates: 1047 (759 candidates, 288 women)
Number of independent candidates: 1
Number of component candidates: 13
Number of parties and alliances: (9 alliances, 12 parties, 14 individual lists)
Total voters: 2,102,429
General voting: 1,969,179 voters (873 centers, 3,861 stations)
Special voting: 106,803 voters (57 centers, 375 stations)
Voting of the displaced: 26,447 voters

6. Kirkuk Province

Number of seats: 12 (3 women's quota, 1 Christian)
Number of candidates: 251 (175 men, 76 women)
Number of independent candidates: 1
Number of component candidates: 8
Number of parties and alliances: (5 alliances, 9 parties, 9 individual lists)
Total voters: 958,141
General voting: 897,030 voters (330 centers, 1,733 stations)
Special voting: 61,062 voters (29 centers, 191 stations)
Voting of the displaced: 49 voters

7. Diyala Province

Number of seats: 14 (4 women's quota)
Number of candidates: 358 (252 men, 106 women)
Number of independent candidates: 2
Number of parties and alliances: (6 alliances, 10 parties, 2 individual lists)
Total voters: 1,051,143
General voting: 976,650 voters (509 centers, 1,940 stations)
Special voting: 74,493 voters (41 centers, 229 stations)

8. Anbar Province

Number of seats: 15 (4 women's quota)
Number of candidates: 253 (183 men, 70 women)
Number of parties and alliances: (7 alliances, 3 parties)
Total voters: 980,471
General voting: 933,911 voters (387 centers, 1,820 stations)
Special voting: 46,553 voters (48 centers, 363 stations)
Voting of the displaced: 7 voters

9. Babil Province

Number of seats: 17 (4 women's quota)
Number of candidates: 479 (348 men, 131 women)
Number of independent candidates: 1
Number of parties and alliances: (7 alliances, 9 parties, 1 individual list)
Total voters: 1,145,458
General voting: 1,070,326 voters (436 centers, 2,099 stations)
Special voting: 75,132 voters (29 centers, 127 stations)

10. Karbala Province

Number of seats: 11 (3 women's quota)
Number of candidates: 233 (164 men, 69 women)
Number of independent candidates: 1
Number of parties and alliances: (7 alliances, 5 parties, 1 individual list)
Total voters: 679,556
General voting: 634,816 voters (249 centers, 1,243 stations)
Special voting: 44,740 voters (16 centers, 109 stations)

11. Wasit Province

Number of seats: 11 (3 women's quota, 1 Faili Kurd)
Number of candidates: 246 (176 men, 70 women)
Number of component candidates: 9
Number of parties and alliances: (8 alliances, 3 parties, 9 individual lists)
Total voters: 787,784
General voting: 744,752 voters (311 centers, 1,461 stations)
Special voting: 43,032 voters (17 centers, 93 stations)

12. Saladin Province

Number of seats: 12
Number of candidates: 296 (216 men, 80 women)
Number of independent candidates: 0
Number of parties and alliances: (10 alliances, 3 parties)
Total voters: 861,156
General voting: 808,043 voters (356 centers, 1,589 stations)
Special voting: 53,078 voters (50 centers, 283 stations)
Voting of the displaced: 35 voters

13. Najaf Province

Number of seats: 12 (3 women's quota)
Number of candidates: 312 (227 men, 85 women)
Number of independent candidates: 1
Number of parties and alliances: (8 alliances, 6 parties, 1 individual list)
Total voters: 838,270
General voting: 795,653 voters (341 centers, 1,560 stations)
Special voting: 42,617 voters (20 centers, 101 stations)

14. Qadisiyyah Province

Number of seats: 11 (3 women's quota)
Number of candidates: 282 (200 men, 82 women)
Number of independent candidates: 1
Number of parties and alliances: (9 alliances, 4 parties, 1 individual list)
Total voters: 729,070
General voting: 679,751 voters (301 centers, 1,325 stations)
Special voting: 49,319 voters (17 centers, 70 stations)

15. Muthanna Province

Number of seats: 7 (2 women's quota)
Number of candidates: 126 (90 men, 36 women)
Number of parties and alliances: (6 alliances, 3 parties)
Total voters: 510,867
General voting: 471,573 voters (179 centers, 915 stations)
Special voting: 39,294 voters (10 centers, 73 stations)

16. Dhi Qar Province

Number of seats: 19 (five women's quota)
Number of candidates: 571 candidates (416 men, 155 women)
Number of parties and alliances: (9 alliances, 8 parties)
Total voters: 1,138,694
General voting: 1,065,089 voters (492 centers, 2,094 stations)
Special voting: 73,605 voters (35 centers, 118 stations)

17. Maysan Province

Number of seats: 10 seats (3 women's quota)
Number of candidates: 141 candidates (104 men, 37 women)
Number of parties and alliances: (4 alliances, 4 parties)
Total voters: 615,147
General voting: 572,778 voters (231 centers, 1,110 stations)
Special voting: 42,369 voters (24 centers, 127 stations)

18. Basra Province

Number of seats: 25 (6 women's quota)
Number of candidates: 571 (408 men, 163 women)
Number of parties and alliances: (8 alliances, 5 parties)
Total voters: 1,622,855
General voting: 1,559,941 voters (522 centers, 3,000 stations)
Special voting: 62,914 voters (36 centers, 207 stations)