Iraq begins month-long biometric voter registration

Iraqis eligible for participation in parliamentary elections by the end of this year have one month to update their records with the country’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC).

This follows the launch of a voter registration exercise in the Province of Kirkuk today March 25, Shafaq reports.

IHEC’s Kirkuk office media head, Ali al-Bayati, is quoted as explaining that the activity will run for the next one month across 43 voter registration centers set up in the province. IHEC’s spokesperson first announced the start of the process nationwide in January.

During the process that will run till April 25, officials will attend to citizens who have lost their voter’s card, those whose fingerprint biometrics no longer match, as well as those who want a change of polling station.

The election agency official also noted that they expect many first-time registrants to show up for the enrollment, namely those who were born in 2007.

In January, IHEC had its term of office extended by two years to enable it manage the parliamentary elections. The United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) hailed the move, and pledged to provide necessary assistance to the agency for the organization of credible elections.

Meanwhile, as preparations for the elections draw near, some political parties have been pushing for the use of the national ID card for voter verification as one of the ways of fighting fraud and other election irregularities.

Shafaq in another report mentions that the move is fronted by a political alliance dubbed State Administration Coalition which comprises major Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish political parties.

The move, according to an unnamed sourced quoted by the outlet, will require the amendment of the country’s voter verification legislation, and will be vital in enhancing trust and improving voter participation on polling day.

Iraq’s national digital ID card is produced by Veridos which recently celebrated a landmark moment with the issuance of more than 40 million cards.

Article Topics

biometric enrollment  |  biometrics  |  digital identity  |  elections  |  Iraq  |  voter registration