At a Glance

• Prime Minister Ali Faleh al-Zaidi chaired a meeting on preparations for upcoming elections.
• The meeting brought together the Interior Ministry and the Independent High Electoral Commission.
• Al-Zaidi directed the adoption of the Unified National Card for voting.
• Officials discussed technical and administrative steps needed to implement the decision.

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Iraq is preparing for upcoming electoral processes with a focus on improving voting procedures and electoral data.

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Key Statements and Focus Area

• Unified National Card: The government is directing its adoption for the upcoming elections to simplify voting procedures and improve the accuracy of electoral data.
• Electoral Preparations: The Interior Ministry and Independent High Electoral Commission will coordinate the technical and administrative requirements needed to implement the card within the specified timelines.

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Al-Zaidi commended the commission for its performance during the previous parliamentary elections, describing them as transparent and professionally conducted. He called on officials to maintain the same level of determination and begin preparations for the next electoral processes at an early stage.

The prime minister directed the adoption of the Unified National Card for the upcoming elections. He also instructed the Ministry of Interior to provide the electoral commission with the necessary data and information to support its work and complete the requirements for adopting the card.

The meeting reviewed the mechanisms and steps required to complete the technical and administrative preparations for using the Unified National Card in the electoral process. Officials also discussed coordination between the Ministry of Interior and the Independent High Electoral Commission to ensure the required preparations are completed within the specified timelines.

FYI

In previous elections, Iraq allowed voters to use traditional paper-based or basic electronic cards that lacked security features. However, to prevent fraud, the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) banned those older cards and, in recent years, required a high-tech biometric voter card containing an embedded smart chip with the voter's photo and 10 digital fingerprints. Looking forward, the government is transitioning to allow the unified National Identity Card for voting, which integrates directly with civil status databases and removes the need for citizens to carry a separate voter card.

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