Hashim Al-Rikabi

A recent nationwide public opinion survey looked at voter attitudes towards the upcoming parliamentary and provincial elections in Iraq, scheduled for May 2018. The results of the survey, which interviewed 2,300 people across all 18 provinces, offer some interesting insights into voter participation, preferences and priorities.

Electoral Participation

The survey results found that approximately 59% of participants expressed willingness to participate in the upcoming elections in contrast to 16% who said they would not vote, and 25% who were undecided. There was no difference between males and females in regards to the participation (males 60%, females 57%; margin of error 3). Also, the findings of the survey indicate that all youth groups enjoy similar willingness to participate in elections at the level of 60%, which was a slightly higher than older age groups, as shown in Chart I. In terms of attitudes along ethnicity, Kurds appeared less interested in taking part in the upcoming elections, compared to Arabs and Turkmen, as shown in Chart II.

Chart I. Electoral participation based on age groups