BAGHDAD, June 20 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) said on Sunday that it has approved 8,273 polling centers across the country as part of its preparations for the parliamentary elections scheduled for Oct. 10.
These centers consist of 55,041 polling stations, and each will receive a maximum of 450 voters, said a statement issued by the electoral commission on its website, stressing that the process of distributing polling stations depends on the voters' place of residence.
Moreover, the electoral commission "continues receiving responses from investigation bodies about the candidates' eligibility to verify that he or she is not employed in the armed forces or security institutions," according to the statement.
Initially, 3,523 candidates registered to participate in the elections, including 963 women, but figures will be updated once all candidate statistics are consolidated and cross-checked.
The electoral commission is keen to ensure the integrity of the elections in accordance with international standards to restore the citizen's confidence in the electoral process, as many Iraqis believe that the 2018 parliamentary elections were marred by fraud and irregularities.
On Jan. 19, 2021, the Iraqi government approved Oct. 10 as the new date for the country's early elections, which came in response to the anti-government protests.
The previous parliamentary elections in Iraq were held on May 12, 2018, and the next elections were originally scheduled to take place in 2022. Enditem