Biometric voter registration underway in Iraq, IHEC says FRT to be used on polling day

Iraq has established over 1,000 centers for voter data registration, including biometric enrollment, as it looks toward Parliamentary elections which are expected in late 2025.

The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) announced last Friday that biometric voter registration and voter card distribution are underway at 1,079 electoral centers, Iraqi News Agency (INA) reports. IHEC spokesperson Jumana Al-Ghalai urged newly eligible voters and those previously unregistered to submit their information.

“The commission has adopted the unified national ID system to register citizens’ data, ensuring the voting rights of individuals whose fingerprints were previously unrecognized. Facial recognition technology will be employed in electoral verification devices on polling day,” says Al-Ghalai.

The electoral commission called for a dedicated electoral budget for a smooth process, adding that Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani has instructed the Ministry of Finance to coordinate and provide the commission with financial support.

Article Topics

biometric enrollment  |  biometrics  |  face biometrics  |  facial verification  |  Iraq  |  voter registration