ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq – Iraq’s electoral body said on Sunday that candidates for the upcoming parliamentary elections who attempt to buy voter cards will be disqualified, a day after declaring all preparations for the vote completed. 

“Attempts to buy or remove voter cards have led the commission, in cooperation with the Supreme Judicial Council, to file criminal complaints against those individuals involved. They are now undergoing legal proceedings and will be disqualified if any crime is proven against an accused person,” Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) said in a statement. 

Iraq’s federal parliamentary elections are scheduled for November 11. Campaigning for the vote began on October 10, with over 7,750 candidates competing for the 329 seats allocated across the provinces under a proportional representation system. 

The penalties for violators of election campaign guidelines range from 100,000 to 10 million dinars, according to IHEC. 

“The commission has recorded nearly 400 violations of election campaign rules by candidates, parties, and alliances, most of which were related to placing advertisements in prohibited places or using official positions and posts,” it said. 

On Saturday, the commission told The New Region that all technical, logistical, and administrative preparations have been completed for the elections, reiterating that the vote will be held as scheduled on November 11. 

Iraq’s last parliamentary elections in October 2021 saw a record low turnout amid widespread public frustration.