Iraq concludes voting in 2025 parliamentary elections
3 Min Read
Iraq completed general voting in the 2025 parliamentary elections, with Prime Minister al-Sudani praising the process and Muqtada al-Sadr reaffirming his election boycott.
-
Election workers opens a ballot box after the polls closed in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, November 11, 2025 (AP)
Iraq completed the general voting phase of the 2025 parliamentary elections on Tuesday, as polling stations closed across all provinces at 6 p.m. local time. This followed the special voting round held earlier this month on November 9, during which members of the security forces cast their ballots.
The elections determine the composition of Iraq’s 329-seat Council of Representatives, a process that has taken place regularly since 2005. Officials reported that the voting proceeded under standard security and monitoring measures, with no major disruptions recorded during the day.
Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani praised the electoral process, describing it as a step that reflects the will of the Iraqi people and their pursuit of stability. He said the completion of the elections represents the government’s fulfillment of one of its primary commitments under its executive agenda.
Al-Sudani thanked the legislative and judicial authorities, the armed forces in all their branches, the Election Commission, and political forces for their roles in facilitating the vote. He reiterated his intention, stated previously, to seek a second term as prime minister.
Muqtada al-Sadr comments on boycott
Meanwhile, Shiite political leader Muqtada al-Sadr issued a statement saying his movement did not seek to obstruct the election process, despite choosing to boycott the vote. He said the polls closed smoothly, except for what he described as a noticeable decline in voter turnout.
Al-Sadr framed the boycott as a stance against “selling Iraq” and returning figures who had previously held power. He assigned responsibility to those who benefit from electoral outcomes to work toward “restoring Iraq to its rightful path, ending foreign interference, protecting the people from uncontrolled weapons, and ensuring that arms remain in the hands of the security forces, including the Popular Mobilization Forces.”
He further called on political actors to pursue serious efforts to expose corruption, warning that failure to do so would damage both democracy and the stability of the state. Al-Sadr said he would not remain silent if what he sees as systemic problems persist.
Iraq concludes special voting
The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) released the final closing report for the special voting process on the upcoming 2025 parliamentary elections on Sunday.
A correspondent for the Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported that, following the conclusion of the special voting process, "the Independent High Electoral Commission IHEC closed polling stations across the country," at 6:00 pm local time.
The Independent High Electoral Commission announced the voter turnout for the special voting process, confirming it had reached 82.42%.
During a press conference attended by an Iraqi News Agency (INA) reporter, IHEC Chairman Omar Ahmed stated that "the IHEC maintained impartiality towards all candidates."
He added that "the total number of voters in the special voting exceeded 1.1 million " out of 1.31 million eligible for voting, noting that "the voter turnout in the special voting process reached 82.42%."
The electorate includes roughly 1.29 million members of the security and military forces and around 26,500 internally displaced persons (IDPs), according to Shafaq.
