On December 18, 2023, Iraqis were set to elect members of the provincial councils, a decade after the last elections in 2013 and following the 2019 decision to abolish the councils. Iraq has 15 provinces comprising nearly 120 districts and more than 400 sub-districts. The councils were dissolved in response to the demands of protesters during the October 2019 demonstrations.
On June 20, 2023, the Iraqi government announced the resumption of provincial councils. The official statement declared: “The Council of Ministers has set December 18, 2023, as the date for holding the provincial council elections, in line with the government program approved by Parliament last October.”
Key Facts about the Elections
- Eligible voters: 24,907,679
- Candidates: 5,904 (4,242 men and 1,662 women)
- Parties and alliances: 77 parties and 128 alliances
- Total seats: 275, including 75 seats for the women’s quota and 10 for minorities
Major Parties/Alliances by Number of Candidates
| Party/Alliance | Number of Candidates |
|---|---|
| State of Law Coalition | 377 |
| Iraqi Foundation Coalition | 335 |
| National State Forces Alliance | 319 |
| We Build Alliance | 310 |
| Abshir Ya Iraq | 307 |
| Civic Values Alliance | 285 |
| Sovereignty | 243 |
| Taqaddum National Alliance / Taqaddum | 243 |
| Eshraqet Kanun | 223 |
| Azm Iraq / Azm Alliance | 213 |
| National Decision | 213 |
| Presidency Alliance | 198 |
| Civil Forces Alliance | 190 |
| Generations Gathering | 172 |
| Madar | 164 |
| Internal Organization | 161 |
| Kurdistan Democratic Party | 98 |
| Fao-Zakho Gathering | 82 |
| Al-Mihma Alliance | 60 |
| Iraqi Conscience Alliance | 57 |
| Inbiṭaq | 53 |
| Trust Party | 52 |
| National Tribal Current | 48 |
| Al-Makina | 35 |
| Diyala Our Homeland Alliance | 30 |
| National Framework Alliance | 30 |
| Ghayarat Iraq Movement | 26 |
| New Iraq Gathering | 23 |
| Thabitun | 20 |
| Iraqi Promise | 16 |
| Kurdistan Social Democratic Party | 13 |
| Al-Da‘i Party | 8 |
| New Iraq Alliance | 4 |
| Ibda‘ Karbala | 26 |
| Iraqi Pulse | 32 |
| Anbar is Our Identity | 32 |
| Shumukh Basra Coalition | 41 |
| Fayhaa Federal Gathering | 43 |
| Wasit Tent Alliance | 28 |
| More Beautiful Wasit | 28 |
| United Anbar | 32 |
| Muthanna Public | 24 |
| Idraak Movement | 30 |
| Ma‘alim Kirkuk | 4 |
| New Generation Movement | 5 |
| Democratic Civil Alliance | 8 |
| Arabism Alliance | 30 |
| Leadership | 30 |
| Kirkuk is Our Power | 30 |
| Our Kirkuk | 30 |
| Arab Alliance in Kirkuk | 30 |
| Iraqi Turkmen Front | 30 |
| New National Party | 52 |
| People’s Parliament Gathering | 35 |
| Independents | 67 |
Provincial Overviews
Baghdad
- Eligible voters: 5,793,605
- Candidates: 1,449 (998 men, 451 women)
- Parties/alliances: 12 parties and 16 alliances
- Seats: 49 (13 women’s quota, 3 minority quota)
(Table of Baghdad alliances and candidate counts preserved in English.)
Nineveh
- Eligible voters: 2,330,632
- Candidates: 623 (466 men, 157 women – correction from source)
- Parties/alliances: 12 parties and 10 alliances
- Seats: 26 (7 women’s quota, 3 minority quota)
Basra
- Eligible voters: 1,887,231
- Candidates: 517 (379 men, 138 women)
- Parties/alliances: 7 parties and 11 alliances
- Seats: 22 (6 women’s quota, 1 minority quota)
Anbar
- Eligible voters: 1,091,644
- Candidates: 307 (226 men, 81 women)
- Parties/alliances: 2 parties and 9 alliances
- Seats: 16 (4 women’s quota)
Salah al-Din
- Eligible voters: 957,291
- Candidates: 253 (182 men, 71 women)
- Parties/alliances: 4 parties and 6 alliances
- Seats: 15 (4 women’s quota)
Diyala
- Eligible voters: 1,074,442
- Candidates: 321 (227 men, 94 women)
- Parties/alliances: 8 parties and 7 alliances
- Seats: 15 (4 women’s quota)
Kirkuk
- Eligible voters: 1,011,928
- Candidates: 244 (176 men, 68 women)
- Parties/alliances: 5 parties and 10 alliances
- Seats: 15 (4 women’s quota, 1 minority seat)
Babil
- Eligible voters: 1,281,860
- Candidates: 391 (286 men, 105 women)
- Parties/alliances: 4 parties and 8 alliances
- Seats: 18 (5 women’s quota)
Qadisiyyah
- Eligible voters: 2,330,632
- Candidates: 261 (187 men, 74 women)
- Parties/alliances: 2 parties and 8 alliances
- Seats: 14 (4 women’s quota)
Muthanna
- Eligible voters: 527,555
- Candidates: 191 (141 men, 50 women)
- Parties/alliances: 2 parties and 7 alliances
- Seats: 12 (3 women’s quota)
Najaf
- Eligible voters: 946,853
- Candidates: 326 (239 men, 87 women)
- Parties/alliances: 5 parties and 8 alliances
- Seats: 15 (women’s quota fully applied)
Dhi Qar
- Eligible voters: 1,312,275
- Candidates: 332 (245 men, 87 women)
- Parties/alliances: 4 parties and 8 alliances
- Seats: 18 (5 women’s quota)
Karbala
- Eligible voters: 770,838
- Candidates: 250 (173 men, 77 women)
- Parties/alliances: 4 parties and 7 alliances
- Seats: 13 (4 women’s quota)
Maysan
- Eligible voters: 763,340
- Candidates: 178 (129 men, 49 women)
- Parties/alliances: 4 parties and 4 alliances
- Seats: 13 (4 women’s quota, 1 minority seat)
Wasit
- Eligible voters: 855,861
- Candidates: 261 (188 men, 73 women)
- Parties/alliances: 2 parties and 9 alliances
- Seats: 14 (4 women’s quota, 1 minority seat)
