Iraq election commission asks parliament to drop biometric card, use national ID instead

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Iraq's Higher Independent Election Commission has asked parliament to amend the 2018 Amended Election Law No. 12 so that the national identity card, rather than the biometric voter card, is used as the basis for voter identification in upcoming elections. Commission spokesperson Jumanah al-Ghallai said the request follows a meeting between the commission and the Interior Ministry chaired by Prime Minister Ali Ziyadi, who directed that future elections rely on the unified national card. Al-Ghallai noted that the current legal framework requires the biometric card for voting, meaning the text must be revised by parliament before the national card can be applied to elections. She said the Prime Minister also instructed the Interior Ministry to work with the commission on implementing the national card system for electoral use. The commission's request is tied to a broader government effort to consolidate civil identification through the unified national card. No date for the parliamentary vote on the proposed amendment was announced.