Rawan Barzani, Commander of the Halo Special Forces, declared that the Peshmerga now defend their rights with ballots. “In the past and present, the Peshmerga defended the land with blood, and today we defend our rights with our vote,” he said. His statement coincided with the smooth special voting process for over 1.3 million security personnel and displaced Iraqis ahead of the November 11 national elections.
The special voting served those unable to vote on the main election day. Jumana Ghalay, spokesperson for the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), confirmed that more than 1.3 million eligible voters from security forces participated without technical problems. The commission opened 8,109 polling centers, including 4,501 polling stations, to ensure orderly voting.
The vote included members of the Peshmerga, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior, Border Crossing Authority, Counter-Terrorism Service, and Popular Mobilization Forces. The largest groups were 597,453 from the federal Interior Ministry, 298,054 from the Defense Ministry, and 145,907 Peshmerga personnel.
Ghalay noted that traditional election ink was no longer necessary due to a robust three-stage biometric verification system. Voters still confirm their identity with signatures and fingerprints on paper registers for added security.
In Erbil, civil defense forces voted in shifts to balance civic duty and public safety. In Soran, 17,842 security personnel voted across 14 centers without incidents. In Kirkuk, voting proceeded smoothly for 56,237 special voters, including Peshmerga and other forces. Over 26,000 displaced persons also cast their ballots in 27 dedicated centers.
The special voting concluded without major issues, with machines set to lock at 6:00 PM. Commander Barzani’s statement highlighted how security forces actively participate in democracy, connecting their historical defense of the region with their civic responsibility today.