ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Polls in the Kurdistan Region opened on Sunday morning for its long-awaited parliamentary elections, two years after its originally scheduled date and with the federal commission supervising the vote.
A total of 1,191 candidates are contesting the 100-seat legislature, downsized from 111 seats following a major Iraqi federal court ruling in February.
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It is also the first election to divide the region into four constituencies, Sulaimani, Erbil, Duhok, and Halabja. There are 38 seats up for grabs in Sulaimani province, 34 in Erbil, 25 in Duhok, and three in Halabja.
About 2.9 million residents across the Kurdistan Region are registered to vote, and over 1,200 polling stations are open.
The polls opened at 7:00 am and will close at 6:00 pm.