The Republic of Iraq will hold national elections for the Council of Representatives on March 7, 2010.
An estimated 18.2 million registered voters are eligible to participate. The election will decide the 325 members of the Council of Representatives of Iraq, who will then elect the Prime Minister of Iraq and the President of Iraq. The election is planned for the same day as a referendum on the presence of U.S. troops.
On January 19, 2010, the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) started the printing of ballots for the elections. More than 26 million ballots of 19 different types will be printed and distributed to approximately 50,000 polling stations established by the IHEC to accommodate regular voting, special needs and absentee voting (police, military, detainees and hospitals), as well as out-of-country voting.
The election law increased the size of the Council from 275 to 325 members - equal to one seat per 100,000 voters, as specified in the Constitution of Iraq. As with the December 2005 election, seats will be allocated by governorate. Additional “compensatory” seats will be allocated to those parties whose national share of the vote is not generally reflected in the seats won at the governorate level. Eight of these 16 seats “compensatory” seats are allocated to specific national minorities - five for Iraqi Christians and one each for Yazidis, Shabak and Mandaeans.
The IHEC, which will run the election, announced that a curfew will be imposed and airports will be closed on the day of elections. The IHEC also announced a goal of announcing election results three days after the vote (March 10, 2010).
Special voting for minister of defense, interior, other security, hospital patients, other medical and prisoners will be on March 4.
Out of country voting will take place in 16 countries. Registration and voting in those countries will be from March 5 to 7.
U.S. Polling Locations: Specific locations coming soon!
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Phoenix, Arizona
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San Diego and San Francisco, California
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Chicago, Illinois
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Dearborn and Detroit, Michigan
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New Jersey
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Nashville, Tennessee
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Texas
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Virginia
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Washington, DC