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6d ago

Iraq Votes in Parliamentary Election as Counting Begins After Major Boycott

Preliminary results are expected within days, with al-Sudani’s alliance forecast to lead without a majority.

Iraqis voters gather to cast their vote at a ballot station in the country's parliamentary election in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)
Kurdish security forces wait outside a polling station to vote during a special voting, two days before polls open to the public in a parliamentary election, in Duhok, Iraq, November 9, 2025. REUTERS/Ari Jalal
Kurdish security forces wait to vote outside a polling station during special voting, two days before polls open to the public in a parliamentary election, in Duhok, Iraq, November 9, 2025. REUTERS/Ari Jalal
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani his, right, votes in the country's parliamentary election in Baghdad, Iraq, Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban)

Overview

  • Iraq held nationwide voting on Nov. 11 to fill 329 seats, following early ballots by security forces and displaced people, with 8,703 polling centers open across the country.
  • Turnout signals were mixed, as reporters observed sparse participation in many areas while one outlet cited the electoral commission to report an unexpectedly higher turnout.
  • Influential cleric Moqtada al-Sadr and his movement boycotted the vote, a prominent absence that analysts say could weigh on perceived legitimacy and participation.
  • Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani is seeking a second term, and most reporting projects his bloc to win the most seats yet face extended coalition talks to form a government.
  • The campaign featured Iran‑linked militia parties on the ballot, a legal dispute over the election date by the Supreme Judicial Council’s chief, and persistent concerns over corruption, vote‑buying and candidate disqualifications.