Record turnout in Iraq’s special elections: 82% participation by Iraqi military personnel

According to election officials, this marks the highest participation rate across the five electoral cycles since the fall of Saddam Hussein. Iraqi authorities stated that more than 1.1 million security forces, military personnel, and eligible prisoners took part in this stage of the elections.

Coinciding with the start of special voting for Iraq’s sixth parliamentary elections, Muqtada al-Sadr, leader of the Sadrist Movement, boycotted the elections. He launched two hashtags, “Boycotters of the Elections” and “Save Iraq,” urging Iraq’s security and military forces to take responsibility for the country’s future. In his message, al-Sadr stressed that “to test the tested is a mistake,” arguing that re-electing experienced yet ineffective politicians would only perpetuate and entrench corruption within Iraq’s political system.