ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) warned Saturday that any candidate who begins campaigning for the country's upcoming parliamentary elections earlier than the official date will be penalized.

"The commission has formed a central committee and subcommittees in all provinces to monitor campaigning violations," Hassan Hadi Zayer, an electoral official, told Iraqi state media on Saturday, noting that "the most prominent violation observed is the early start of campaigning, which exposes violators to penalties and fines."

Candidates are allowed to begin officially campaigning 30 days ahead of the election.

According to the electoral body, 118 parties and 25 alliances have "expressed their desire to participate" in the vote.

"The commission has conducted three previous simulations of the electoral system experience and overcame past problems and succeeded in achieving high accuracy and speed. A fourth, more comprehensive simulation will be conducted with the participation of polling staff," Zayer added.

The electoral official had told INA previously in July that "the penalties imposed by the commission against [campaigning] violators range from a warning to financial penalties ranging from one million to 25 million dinars and may even reach, depending on the type of violation, exclusion from the electoral race."

Iraq’s electoral body has excluded over 600 candidates from various political blocs and parties from the November 2025 parliamentary elections, citing legal and administrative reasons, with the exclusions raising concerns that the electoral body is being used as a political instrument to weaken rivals.

Iraq's parliamentary elections are set to be held on November 11. According to the commission, nearly 30 million Iraqis are eligible to vote, including more than one million who will vote for the first time.