97% early voter turnout in Kurdistan elections: IHEC

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Ninety-seven percent of eligible voters cast a ballot during early voting in Kurdistan Region’s parliamentary elections on Friday, with Duhok province recording the highest turnout, according to data released by the electoral commission. 

Of 215,560 security force members eligible to vote in the early polls, 208,521 cast a ballot, Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) said in a press conference two hours after polls closed.

The breakdown of the turnout is as follows:

Duhok: 98 percent 
Erbil: 97 percent 
Sulaimani: 97 percent 
Halabja: 96 percent 
Nineveh: 43 percent 
Kirkuk: 56 percent 
Diyala: 62 percent 
Anbar: 8 percent 
Baghdad-Karkh: 79 percent 
Wasit: 4 percent 
Salahaddin: 54 percent 
Baghdad-Rusafa: 60 percent  

The general vote is on Sunday.