On Nov. 11, Iraqis headed to the polls for the sixth parliamentary election since the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003. While elections were relatively calm, disillusionment with Iraqi politics and political elites continues, especially among young Iraqis, with 46% of them wanting to emigrate. The Independent High Electoral Commission announced a 56% voter turnout, but only 21 million of 32 million eligible voters registered for the elections, suggesting a real turnout of roughly 40% and indicating a disconnect between politicians and the public.
This election was marred by widespread practices, including candidates buying votes, offering people payment to prove how they voted and some politicians who promised payments fleeing the region after learning they had not been elected. AI-generated videos were widely used, but many young people found them bizarre and didn't watch them.
Many Shiite parties spread fake news on social media to increase turnout and counterbalance Shiite religious leader Muqtada al-Sadr's boycott of the elections, claiming that another Shiite religious authority, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, gave a fatwa to vote. However, al-Sadr's boycott calls were important and led to the lowest turnout in Najaf, Karbala and
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