Citizens of the Kurdistan Region living abroad should be present in the Region if they want to vote and will be required to present their biometric ID cards, spokesperson to the Iraqi electoral commission told The New Region on Sunday.

“Regarding voters abroad in the Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections, those who have a biometric ID card have a right to participate by being present in the Kurdistan Region on election day,” spokesperson to the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) Jumana al-Ghalayi said.

“They will find their names present in dedicated polling stations based on their national identity cards,” she added.

The Presidency of the Kurdistan Region has set October 20 for the Kurdistan Region parliamentary elections, and the Iraqi commission is gearing up to oversee the elections. 

The New Region contacted the Kurdistan Regional Government’s (KRG) Department of Foreign Relations on Sunday, however they were not able to provide exact data on the number of eligible voters living abroad.

The elections, originally scheduled for June 10, 2024, were canceled after the Region’s ruling Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) announced its withdrawal. They demanded changes to the allocation of quota seats and constituency seats. 
 
Earlier this year, the Electoral Commission issued Law No. 7 of 2024 regarding the registration and approval of candidate lists for the Parliament of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
 
Article 2 of the law divided the Kurdistan Region into four electoral districts and specified the parliament's seat count at 100 only, nullifying the 11 seats allocated for minority quotas.

The party eventually registered to participate after some of their demands were met, including the return of five quota seats.
 
The return of the five seats came in response to a complaint from a Christian party in the Kurdistan Region.