Iraq
A face recognition device at a polling station in the Kurdistan Region on November 9, 2025. Photo: Rudaw
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Iraqi electoral commission has, for the first time, installed face recognition devices at polling stations on Sunday to enable those unable to vote using fingerprints to cast their ballots.
Thousands of voters were deprived of voting in previous elections in Iraq and the Kurdistan Region due fingerprint issues. The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has provided face recognition devices at polling stations for this year’s polls.
“No one is allowed to vote without a voting card, and if the fingerprint reader doesn't work, Face ID will solve the problem,” Nabard Omar, director of IHEC’s office in the Kurdistan Region, told Rudaw on Sunday.
Early voting for Iraqi legislative elections began on Sunday, with the general process taking place on Tuesday. Polling stations opened at 7 am and will close at 6 pm, with over 1.3 million members of the security forces and 26,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) eligible to vote at 4,501 designated stations nationwide.
“No one is allowed to vote without a voting card. Along with the card, a national ID card is requested to verify the voter's identity. Regarding the fingerprint reading issue, in the previous election, a large number of voters couldn't vote due to this problem. For this election, if the fingerprint doesn't read, they try 10 more times and test all 10 fingers. If it still doesn't read, the Face ID system is used, allowing them to vote. If both fail to read, they cannot vote,” Omar said.
IHEC spokesperson Jumana al-Ghalai, told Rudaw on Sunday that the presence of face recognition divides has resolved the fingerprint issue.
According to the commission, 21,404,291 voters with biometric cards are eligible to participate in the election. In total, 31 alliances, 38 political parties, 23 independent candidates, and 56 quota candidates are competing for 329 parliamentary seats, including nine reserved for minority groups.
The IHEC spokesperson said turnout for the early voting will be announced at noon.
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