Iraqi polling stations close after day of voting
Polling stations closed around Iraq today after a full day of voting around the country to elect a new parliament.
There were indications of a large turnout in the country’s more than 33,000 polling stations, especially among Sunni Arab voters who boycotted the last election on January 30.
It was unclear when results would be released, but it took two weeks for the last elections. Some polling stations abroad were still open due to the time difference.
Some polling station around Iraq, however, could extend closing times because of long lines of people still waiting to vote. Officials were holding a meeting to decide whether to extend times for some polling stations.
The Interior Ministry said people who were still in line when the polls closed would be allowed to finish voting.
“No one is allowed into the polling station anymore,” said Munthur Abdelamir, who was in charge of a main polling station inside Baghdad’s highly fortified Green Zone.
Most of the government voted at that station.
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