PNN – Iraq’s parliamentary elections will be held on November 11 to determine the holders of 319 parliamentary seats for the next four years.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, citing the “Iraq Al-Hadath” website, the Iraqi political arena will witness parliamentary elections on November 11, 2025, which will determine the fate of the legislative branch and the political future of the country.
In these elections, 31 political coalitions, 38 parties, and 75 independent lists are competing, all seeking to win 319 parliamentary seats.
The Independent High Election Commission closely monitors the campaign process to ensure the implementation of time standards and electoral ethics and to prevent any violations or misuse of government resources for the benefit of various parties.
Read more:
Iraqi electoral system
Yousef Salman, an expert on Iraqi electoral affairs, considers the current electoral system to be based on a single constituency in each province, adding that each province is considered an independent constituency.
Salman explained that the distribution of seats is based on a proportional representation system within the constituency, so that seats are distributed based on the proportion of votes obtained by political lists and entities. Winning an election means the candidate with the highest number of votes on the list that the seats have been created for, and a special system is used to distribute the remaining seats after the votes are counted.
Distribution of seats based on the quota system
The process of distributing seats among the winning candidates in the election is based on the number of votes they received on the lists and political entities within the constituency. This distribution is determined based on the proportional representation system, so that seats are allocated based on the proportion of votes received by each list.
According to the 2023 amended law on the Iraqi electoral system, some social and religious groups are guaranteed seats through special quotas. For example, the law stipulates that at least 25 percent of seats in the House of Representatives must be reserved for women. These seats are filled by the female candidates with the highest number of votes in each constituency. If the required proportion is not achieved through outright winners, this proportion is compensated by arranging the losing female candidates with the highest number of votes on non-winning lists to ensure the quorum for women in parliament.
The law also reserves seats for ethnic and religious minorities that form part of Iraq’s social diversity.
Quorum of participation in elections
Iraqi law does not set a specific percentage for participation that would be a condition for the success or cancellation of the election. Therefore, the election is considered successful once it is concluded according to the constitutional framework, and the participation rate only indicates the level of citizens’ engagement with the political process and their interest in participating in political decision-making.
According to Yousef Salman, the voting process begins with an electoral silence period, which is 24 hours before polling day, during which any election campaigning is prohibited.
Announcement of election results
Iraqi election results are usually announced in two stages:
Initial results are usually announced 24 hours after the end of the voting process. These results are considered an early indication of voter trends.
The final and official results will be announced after the completion of electronic and manual review processes (if necessary), as well as the handling of complaints and objections submitted by political entities or candidates to the Election Commission and the Judicial Board.
Salman adds that while there is no specific time frame in the law for announcing the final results, the process must be carried out within a reasonable time frame that allows for a thorough review of the results. The High Election Commission is responsible for counting the votes.
He noted that a recount would be conducted if there were complaints about the results of some polling stations, or differences between electronic and manual results, or if there were doubts about the integrity of the results.
Electoral violations
Complaints about violations by political entities and candidates can be submitted to the Election Commission up to 72 hours after the announcement of the preliminary results. Anyone who is not satisfied with the decision of the Election Commission has the right to appeal to the Election Judicial Board, a judicial body affiliated with the Supreme Judicial Council.
The Judicial Board issues its ruling on the objections within a maximum of 10 days, and this decision is final and binding. After that, the results are sent to the Federal Supreme Court for confirmation, making the results official and final.
Tackling irregularities in Iraqi elections
Electoral fraud and violations are crimes for which the law has determined punishments. The measures taken against violators are divided into two main parts:
- Criminal penalties
Penalties can include imprisonment or heavy fines of up to 5 million dinars (about $3,780). These penalties apply to cases such as forging or stealing ballots, or influencing the will of voters by force, or voting in someone else’s name.
- Administrative penalties
Administrative sanctions include the removal of candidates from electoral lists or the annulment of results in some polling stations where fraud has occurred. These decisions are made by the High Election Commission or the Judicial Electoral Board.
According to the Iraqi constitution, the president is required to convene the new House of Representatives for its first session within 15 days of the date of certification of the results.
When the first session of parliament will be held
Mohammed Al-Khafaji, a member of the Iraqi Parliament and a member of the Legal Committee, emphasizes that the current House of Representatives will continue its activities until January 8 of next year, and the dissolution of the Parliament will be carried out by the decision of its speaker, after the end of the legal term.
The first session of the new parliament is held under the chairmanship of the oldest member, and the speaker of the parliament and his deputies are elected in this session, thus announcing the beginning of the new parliamentary term and the start of negotiations to form the next government.