7:10 pm
Final turnout high for early voting
Turnout was high across the Region, according to official figures released by the election commission: Erbil 92 percent, Sulaimani 89 percent, Duhok 93 percent, and Halabja 93 percent.
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6:17 pm
Polls closed at six o'clock.
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Above 50 percent turnout at midday
Kurdistan’s election body announced turnout in Erbil is 50 percent, Duhok 59 percent, Halabja 60 percent, and Sulaimani 56. The figures are through 12 p.m.
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High turnout for early voting is typical for security personnel
3:25 p.m.
At the Sarbakh polling station in Koya, the Change Movement’s (Gorran) election monitor was attacked.
"At the Sarbakh station, I was assaulted. That is why I boycotted the early voting process," said Mariwan Hassan, Gorran's monitor in Koya.
Koya's mayor Tariq Haidari said the issues of voting in Koya have been resolved.
The evening of the May 12, following the Iraqi parliamentary election, Gorran’s headquarters were shot up. The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan later apologized.
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11:40 a.m.
KDP head in Koya says he was assaulted by polling station guards
The head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) office in Koya said he was assaulted and beaten by polling station guards.
Zeravani Peshmerga were prevented from voting.
Koya, in the east of Erbil province, is primarily controlled by the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK).
Despite efforts to unify Peshmerga, many forces are still firstly loyal to party.
A Rudaw reporter in Koya said that Rudaw Media Network alike, is prevented from covering the voting process in the town.
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10:58 a.m.
Official underscores measures to safe guard election process
Aram Najmaldin, the head of Erbil's election commission body, briefed the media on the early voting to address concerns about media access to polling stations, alleged disorganization, photographing ballots, and vote counting and polling hour extensions.
"I request from all relevant authorities, especially from Erbil's center, city mayors, district mayors, police directorates, to help us so the process proceeds as properly as possible,” he said.
Journalists will not be permitted into polling stations because of “secrecy.”
"For the sake of preserving the secrecy of the voting choice of voters, please media outlets remain outside voting stations,” he said.
There were concerns in the lead-up that the electoral body lacked resources necessary to hold an election. No party officially called for a delay of the already delayed election; however, the small and new opposition party of the Coalition for Democracy and Justice had announced it would not participate, pointing to alleged fraud in Iraq’s parliamentary election on May 12.
"There is no disorganization. It is proceeding very well. It is a much more developed process than the previous ones,” said Najmaldin.
Aram Najmaldin, the head of the Erbil office of the Kurdistan Region's electoral commision, briefs reporters on September 28, 2018. Photo: Rudaw TV
Baghdad chose to use an electronic system for voting, but it was plagued with problems and its electoral commission eventually had to conduct a partial manual recount of ballots.
Polling stations were packed early on Friday morning. Najmaldin urged special voters not to rush and not to all try to vote at once. Polls are open from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m.
"In no way" will voting hours be extended, added Najmaldin.
He said there have been no cases of photographing ballots and taking phones inside voting places is banned.
Counting votes will take place at the stations themselves.
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9:39 a.m.
Security members commend election body
"It is proceeding normally, and good job to them," said another security officer in Erbil.
The Peshmerga are hoping with the manual process of counting votes that there won’t be complaints of fraud, so elections wouldn't be "hacked.”
Large crowds, leading to long waiting lines, are the main issue at the polls.
"Yes we voted, and it is proceeding well, safely, without trouble," said a Peshmerga officer in Zakho.
Due to fraud being easy through the forging of IDs, the commission has mandated that only citizenship, passport or information card and documents should be for verification when voting.
9:15 a.m.
Monitors concerned about phones, cameras in photo stations
"The process is good, but the only problem we have is with phones being brought to voting rooms," an election monitor said.
Peshmerga cadres are known to take pictures of their ballots next to ID cards to prove their party loyalty.
"One of them was me, who tried to take a picture. They prevented me. I told them I have given some promises to some candidates, and I needed to assure those candidates," said one of the voters, who said he was able to take the photo nevertheless in Amedi.
Others are just glad to participate in the democratic process.
"We are happy and we don't have issues yet. We are happy to come here to vote," said a police officer in Amedi.
8:49 p.m.
Early voters complain of problems voting
A number of voters’ names are missing from the voter roll, thus preventing them from voting.
"We have stood outside for two to three hours searching for our names," said one voter.
Some Peshmerga, especially from Garmiyan, have faced issues because some names were transferred to Chamchamal, rather than their hometowns.
Others are only registered for voting on the general election day.
For those eligible voters, the process has gone smoothly.
"I only waited for about 30 minutes. The process is going well and is flawless," a Peshmerga veteran said in Erbil.
Polls opened at 8 a.m. and will close at 6 p.m.
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8:23 p.m.
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region — Security forces, Peshmerga, and others began voting on Friday morning in the Kurdistan Region's parliamentary election.
Some 170,469 voters are eligible to vote on the special day of voting.
The rest of eligible voters in the Kurdistan Region can go to polling stations to vote on Sunday.
دەنگدانی تایبەت لە دوو بنکەی دەنگدان لە هەولێر و دهۆک
— Rudaw (@Rudawkurdish) September 28, 2018
وێنەکان؛ هەردی محەممەد و ناسر عەلی پەیامنێرانی رووداو pic.twitter.com/SwiApMIHSQ
The elections commission announced 72,653 eligible voters can cast a ballot at 41 polling stations in Erbil, while there are 2,175 eligible voters at one station in Halabja, 62,220 voters at 37 stations in Sulaimani, and 33,421 at 20 stations in Duhok for Friday voting.
