By Philip Issa and Qassim Abdul-Zahra Associated Press

BAGHDAD – Iraq saw a record low turnout on Saturday in its first elections since the collapse of the Islamic State group, pointing to widespread dissatisfaction with the direction of the country under Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi and presaging a long period of deal-making as politicians squabble over posts in a new government.

There were no bombings at any polling stations – a first since the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003.

Al-Abadi called it a “historic day, spent peacefully by all Iraqis.”

Riyadh al-Badran, a member on Iraq’s national elections commission, said turnout was 44 percent. No election since 2003 saw turnout below 60 percent. More than ten million Iraqis voted.

With no clear front-runner, it could take months for a new Parliament to form a government name a prime minister seen as suitable to the country’s rival Shiite political currents, who have adopted diverging positions on Iran.

The low turnout could open the door to Sunni-led and Kurdish electoral lists to play an outsized role in the negotiations, as well. Iraq’s population is predominantly Shiite.

Results are expected within 48 hours according to the electoral commission.

Despite presiding over Iraq’s war on the Islamic State group, al-Abadi was opposed by other Shiite leaders who eclipsed him in charisma and popularity. In his first term, Al-Abadi courted both U.S. and Iranian support in the war on IS.

His chief rivals were former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Hadi al-Amiri, who heads the powerful, Iran-backed Badr Organization militia, which participated in the war on IS. Al-Abadi was also opposed by the influential cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, a staunch nationalist who has railed against U.S. and Iranian influence in Iraqi politics.

Iraq is beset by chronic corruption, a sputtering economy, and failing public services.

“The candidates have not done anything for the people,” said Ramadan Mohsen, 50, who said he cast a blank vote in Baghdad’s distressed Sadr City slums.

Millions of others decided to abstain altogether.

“I am certain these elections are a failure,” said Abdelghani Awni, who was at a central Baghdad polling station as an observer. He did not vote. “Forget about change, from the perspective of the economy, of services – forget about it.”

Iraq’s most senior Shiite cleric spoke out on the issue of voter participation Saturday afternoon, encouraging Iraqis to vote “to prevent the arrival of a corrupt parliament.”

“The lack of participation will give the opportunity for others to reach parliament and they will be very far from the aspirations of the people,” said Sheikh Abdul-Mahdi al-Karbalai, the representative of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, on local Iraqi television from Karbala. Sistani has encouraged Iraqis to vote into power Saturday a new political class to combat corruption.

For those who did attempt to vote, some in Baghdad complained of voting irregularities at polling stations linked to a new electronic voting system implemented for the first time this year in an effort to reduce fraud.

Former Prime Minister al-Maliki said he was aware of “violations” at some polling stations in Iraq and complained the process lacked proper oversight.

“We are not reassured,” al-Maliki told the Associated Press in a phone interview.

Thamer Aref, 45, along with his wife and daughter were turned away from a polling station north of central Baghdad.

Aref had turned in his old voter ID card months ago for the biometric identification card required by the new system. However, Aref’s biometric card wasn’t ready ahead of Saturday and, with neither card, the polling station did not allow him to a cast a ballot.

“I lost my right to vote,” he said.

Associated Press journalists documented several similar cases at a number of different polling stations across Baghdad Saturday morning.

Amira Muhammed, the supervisor of a polling station in Azamiyah, Baghdad, said some people couldn’t vote because they did not pick up their new biometric ID cards in time.

“The problem is not with us,” she said.

A member of Iraq’s electoral commission deflected blame for Saturday’s reported irregularities.

“There were some problems with the electronic equipment due to misuse by some employees,” Hazem al-Ridini told the AP.

In central Baghdad, voters supporting al-Abadi said they are doing so because they give him credit for Iraq’s military victory over IS.

Al-Abadi “took revenge” for civilians killed in insurgent attacks in Iraq “with the victory over Daesh,” said 71-year-old Felihah Hassan, using the Arabic acronym for IS.

After IS overran nearly a third of Iraq in the summer of 2014, the group launched waves of suicide bombings targeting civilians in Baghdad and other pockets of government-controlled territory.

With support from the U.S.-led coalition and Iran, al-Abadi oversaw a grueling war against the extremists and declared victory over the group in December.

Despite al-Abadi’s military achievements, Iraq continues to struggle with an economic downturn sparked in part by a drop in global oil prices, entrenched corruption and years of political gridlock.

In addition to al-Maliki, al-Abadi’s most powerful competition is from an alliance of candidates with close ties to the country’s powerful, mostly Shiite paramilitary forces, and an alliance led by influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.

Jassim Mohsen, 58, who fought against IS with the paramilitary forces, said he was casting his vote for al-Amiri’s list, citing the sacrifices of the country’s predominantly Shiite militias in the war on IS.

“I elected the Fatah list because they are the only ones who fought Daesh and gave blood,” he said.

Some Sunnis voting Saturday said they are hopeful this election will help Iraq move beyond sectarian politics and become more inclusive.

Marginalization of Iraq’s Sunnis under al-Maliki is seen as a factor that allowed IS to rise in power in Iraq. Al-Abadi has led a more cross-sectarian government marked by his ability to balance the interests of his two allies often at odds: the U.S. and Iran.

The war left more than 2 million Iraqis, mostly Sunnis, displaced from their homes, with cities, towns and villages suffering heavy destruction. Repairing infrastructure across Anbar and Nineveh provinces, both majority Sunni areas, will cost tens of billions of dollars.

Abdulrazaq Kubi and his wife Suheila Mahdi, both Sunnis from Baghdad, said they would not be voting for al-Abadi, casting their votes instead for a Sunni-led political alliance.

“The victory is not 100 percent, there is still Daesh here,” said Mahdi. The government “is neglecting the refugees because they are Sunni. They left them in the camps, in the winter it floods, in the summers, they go hungry,” she added.

There were 329 parliament seats at stake, with nearly 7,000 candidates from dozens of political alliances.

Iraq’s constitution allows lawmakers more than three months after the ratification of the election results to form a government. But many expect the process to drag on for much longer if there is no clear winner, as dozens of political parties attempt to cobble together a political bloc large enough to hold a majority of seats in parliament.</s>Election 2018 is only two months away, ECP yet to wake from slumber

According to a survey conducted by Pakistan Alliance for Inclusive Elections (PAEI), 94pc of the polling stations are inaccessible to Persons with disabilities (PWDs) in one way or another. The results show that maximum polling stations do not meet one or more mandatory criteria but it also endorses that 71pc of such buildings could be easily made accessible with little alterations.

 Such statistics have put policies of state and ECP for inclusiveness under question. Senior Programme Manager Centre for Peace & Development Initiative (CPDI), Raja Shoaib Akbar while sharing the findings of the survey revealed that Pakistan Alliance for Inclusive Elections (PAIE) conducted Accessibility Audit of polling stations in Islamabad. The purpose of this audit was to present reliable data before stakeholders and to generate debate on the concerns of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) about accessibility. For bringing PWDs in mainstream, polling stations must be usable by all persons with disabilities.

 The findings reveal that 91pc of the sampled polling stations have at least 3ft wide pathways leading to the main gate, whereas 54pc of these approach pathways are not firm and obstacle free. Likewise, 67pc of the inner pathways from main gate to the polling area do not meet the criteria of 3ft width. Secondly, level access to building is another mandatory criterion; results declare that in 69% polling stations the pedestrian gates do not provide level access to the building. And of those without level access, 89% also don’t have low slope ramps.

 The 65pc sampled polling stations in Islamabad do not meet the mandatory criterion of functional lighting at the gate. This may pose difficulties for partially blind people. In addition, display of election result outside the polling station also compels presence of light at the gate because results are often issued in the evening nearly or after the sunset.

 The accessibility criteria also counts-in the entrance gate and inner doors of the polling station building to be at least (a) 32” wide and (b) the door threshold should not exceed 6mm or ¼ of an inch. Results unfolds that 24% and 50% of polling stations do not meet these two criteria respectively. The data presents an alarming picture where 81% inner buildings are not on same level to the entrance and 93% of such buildings do not have low slope ramps as an alternative of stairs to facilitate PWDs.

 While explaining methodology, Akbar remarked that the accessibility audit was based upon the internationally acclaimed essential accessibility criteria i.e. (a)Obstacle / protruding object free, firm and 36” wide pathway leading to the entrance gate and from there to the voting area inside the building, (b) Level access to entrance or low slope ramps as an alternative of staircase, (c) Exterior building lighting (d) Exterior and interior doors opening width of at least 32” and maximum door threshold of 6mm (e)Voting area / inner building on same level as the entrance or low slope ramps as an alternative of staircase A trained team of PAIE observers visited polling stations enlisted in GE 2013 and picked a scientifically drawn sample. 55 polling stations spread over length and breadth of the district were taken as sample, he added.

 Akbar opined that according to latest data available at Pakistan Bureau of Statistics population of PWDs in Pakistan is 3.3 million; though, official numbers on disability have always been contested by the disability rights activists. Inclusion of PWDs in electoral process and accessibility of polling stations is vital among other procedural and administrative measures. Keeping in view this problem the election commission of Pakistan (ECP) made accessibility of polling stations part of its Second Five-Year Strategic Plan (goal 9) of 2014-18. ECP could do much and accessibility is still looming over our heads, he added. PAIE auditors have recommended stakeholders to improve accessibility of polling stations. Firstly, ECP should immediately issue guidelines for accessibility of polling stations to make the general elections 2018 more inclusive. Secondly, government agencies should modify the existing infrastructure to meet minimum criteria of accessibility before elections.</s>Islamabad: A shocking 94% of the polling stations in Islamabad are inaccessible to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in one way or another. Maximum polling stations do not meet one or more mandatory criteria; however, 71% of such buildings can easily be made accessible with little alterations.

The above facts have become apparent in the wake of an accessibility audit of polling stations in Islamabad right before the 2018 general elections. Conducted by the Pakistan Alliance for Inclusive Elections (PAIE), the audit puts into questions, the policies of the state and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) vis-a-vis inclusiveness.

The findings reveal that 91% of the sampled polling stations have at least 3ft wide pathways leading to the main gate, whereas 54% of these approach pathways are not firm and obstacle-free. Likewise, 67% of the inner pathways from main gate to the polling area do not meet the criteria of 3ft width.

Level access to building is another mandatory criterion; results declare that in 69% polling stations, the pedestrian gates do not provide level access to the building. And of those without level access, 89% also don’t have low slope ramps. The 65% sampled polling stations in Islamabad do not meet the mandatory criterion of functional lighting at the gate. This may pose difficulties for partially blind people. In addition, display of election result outside the polling station also compels presence of light at the gate because results are often issued in the evening nearly or after the sunset.

The accessibility criteria also counts-in the entrance gate and inner doors of the polling station building to be at least (a) 32” wide and (b) the door threshold should not exceed 6mm or 1/4 of an inch. Results unfold that 24% and 50% of polling stations do not meet these two criteria, respectively. The data presents an alarming picture where 81% inner buildings are not on same level to the entrance and 93% of such buildings do not have low slope ramps as an alternative of stairs to facilitate PWDs.

Raja Shoaib Akbar, Senior Programme Manager of the Centre for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) said the purpose of this audit was to present reliable data before stakeholders and to generate debate on the concerns of PWDs about accessibility. For bringing PWDs in the mainstream, polling stations must be usable by all of them.

Shoaib Akbar shared that the accessibility audit was based on the internationally acclaimed essential accessibility criteria. A trained team of PAIE observers visited polling stations enlisted in GE 2013 and picked a scientifically drawn sample; 55 polling stations spread over length and breadth of the district were taken as sample.

According to latest data available at the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, the population of PWDs in Pakistan is 3.3 million; official numbers on disability have, however, always been contested by disability rights activists. Inclusion of PWDs in the electoral process and accessibility of polling stations is vital among other procedural and administrative measures.

Keeping in view this problem, the ECP made accessibility of polling stations a part of its Second Five-Year Strategic Plan (goal 9) of 2014-18. PAIE auditors have recommended to the stakeholders to improve accessibility of polling stations. Firstly, ECP should immediately issue guidelines for accessibility of polling stations to make the general elections 2018 more inclusive. Secondly, government agencies should modify the existing infrastructure to meet minimum criteria of accessibility before elections.</s>Accreditation and voting have commenced simultaneously across many polling centres in Oyo State as the local government election got underway amid low turnout.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the exercise is holding in the 33 local governments and 35 Local Council Development Areas newly created by the state government.

NAN also reported that personnel of the Nigeria Police, Department of State Services (DSS) and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) were sighted at polling units as well as strategic locations in the state.

Many residents also complied with the restriction order on vehicular movement although only few voters turned up for the exercise in which the opposition Peoples Democratic Party and several other parties are not participating.

NAN reported that while officials of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) arrived on time with the necessary voting materials at many polling units, there were few voters on the queue.

At Ward 8, Unit 13 polling Unit on Ring Road in Ibadan metropolis, only four voters were on the queue as at 10:24 a.m.

NAN further revealed that officials of OYSEIC arrived at 10:10 a.m at Ajeigbe area of Ring Road, Ibadan, where Ward 5, Unit 2 Polling Unit is located while accreditation and voting commenced at 10:45 am.

According to the Presiding Officer, Bukola Olawuyi, OYSEIC had provided enough voting materials to accommodate all registered voters.

“We will, however, not be making use of the card reader machines as they were not provided.

“Once your name is on the list and you possess a voter card, you are eligible to vote,” she said.

NAN, however, reported that as at 11.a.m, election materials were yet to arrive at Ward 8, Units 5,6 and 7 Awaye/Osengere Polling Centre in Egbeda Local Government while no OYSIEC staff was sighted.

Intending voters were seen in groups discussing about the absence of the electoral officers.

A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Party (APC) in the area, Folorunso Abioye, assured the voters that OYSIEC staff and materials would soon arrive.

While accreditation and voting were ongoing at Ward 2, PU 01, 02, 03, 04 in Egbeda Local Government Area, there was a low turnout, with only 70 voters having been accredited as at 11.20 a.m.

In Oyo town, there was also, a poor turnout of voters, with Basirat Hamzat, the Presiding Officer in Ward 9, Unit 3, Ojongbodu area, saying “ voters are coming in trickles.’’

She also confirmed the non-use of the card reading machines, adding that “Voters are free to vote immediately after they are accredited. ‘’

NAN reported that OYSEIC officials were yet to arrive at Ward 6, Unit 2, Ajanpati, in Oyo as at 9:30 a,m.

Reacting to the low turnout, John Ajeigbe, the Chairman of OYSIEC, said the commission had done the necessary publicity for the election, insisting that voting would stop at 3 p.m.

He, however, expressed optimism that the exercise would be free, fair and credible.</s>New Delhi: The Election Commission on Saturday noted that so far, the voter turnout is 70 percent, compared to 71.4 percent in 2013 elections in Karnataka.

Addressing a press conference here, Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha claimed that the figure is likely to increase, as polling is still underway in some areas.

"Except few polling stations, where people are still standing in line to vote, polling has been completed in almost all polling stations. As of now, the total turnout figure received is 70 percent. However, we expect this number to increase, and hope it surpasses that of the previous elections," he said.

While urban voting percentage remained significantly lower than that of rural areas, Sinha stated that the final figure would be released shortly, post completion of the voting process in all constituencies. In a bid to curb the distribution of cash, liquor and other items to swing electoral process, the EC, in the run-up to the elections, had deployed three flying squads in every constituency, 154 general observers, 136 expenditure observers, 34 police observers, 10,000 micro observers, 3.2 lakh polling personnel and members of the Central police forces in all polling stations. As per available data, the EC said an 'alarming' Rs.186 crores worth of cash, liquor and other items had been seized from the state as of today, which, it said, was more than eight times the seizures made in the last assembly election. However, the election-governing body noted that a marginal percentage of Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) and Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) failures were reported. "Voting was suspended in polling station Number 2 of Hebbal constituency, as the machine there was malfunctioning due to a short circuit. Apart from this, the majority of EVMs and VVPATs functioned well across the state," said Sinha. The Assembly polls, which began at 7 a.m. at 58,546 polling stations earlier in the day, was scheduled to conclude at 6 p.m. A total of 2,654 candidates, including 216 women candidates were in the fray for Assembly Elections this year. While Belagavi district had the highest number of voters (37,23,585), Kodagu district had the lowest voter share (4,33,846). The election in two constituencies, Jayanagar and Rajarajeshwari Nagar, both in Bengaluru was postponed earlier. In Jayanagar, the polling was also deferred due to the death of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate, B N Vijay Kumar, on May 4. In Rajarajeshwari Nagar, the polling was postponed after a bundle of fake voter identity cards was found from a flat in Bengaluru's Jalahalli locality by the EC officials on May 8. The EC ordered re-polling in Karnataka's Hebbal assembly constituency's polling station Number 2 as the polling was stopped earlier in the day due to an EVM failure. As per the EC, a total of 600 pink polling stations were set up across the state, which was completely managed by women. Meanwhile, wheelchairs were also made available in some stations, with youth volunteers engaged for the assistance of differently-abled voters. Tight security arrangements were made to ensure smooth and peaceful single-phase polling in 222 constituencies, including 36 reserved for the Scheduled Castes (SC) and 15 for the Scheduled Tribes (ST) and 26 in Bengaluru. The counting of votes and announcement of results will take place on May 15. In Rajarajeswari Nagar constituency, polling is scheduled for May 28, while counting of votes will take place on May 31.</s>BENGALURU: The high-stakes Karnataka assembly elections saw a 70 per cent voter turnout today, the Election Commission said here.

The last assembly election in 2013 had witnessed 71.4 per cent polling, it said.

The polling figure is likely to go up as some voters were still queued up at the polling stations after 6 pm.

In what is projected as a tight race, voting was held in 222 out of 224 seats in a three-cornered contest among the ruling Congress, the BJP and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda's JD(S).

Over 2,600 candidates are in the fray-- more than 2400 men and over 200 women.

There are a total of 5,06,90,538, voters of whom 2,56,75,579 male voters, 2,50,09,904 female and 5,055 transgender voters.

Counting of votes will take place on May 15.</s>In parts of Iraq, people who were forced from their homes by the war against ISIL are struggling to recover.

The government has set up 166 polling stations in 70 camps for internally displaced persons.

Camp residents are hopeful the government will make good on its commitments to rebuild destroyed cities and towns so that they can return home.

Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford reports from an IDP camp in northern Iraq.</s>[India], May 12 (ANI): The Election Commission has ordered re-polling in Karnataka's Hebbal assembly constituency's polling station Number 2 as the polling was stopped earlier in the day due to Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) failure.

In the morning, the voting was suspended here after voters complained that VVPAT receipt was different from the vote they cast on the EVM.

As per reports till now, 164 polling units, 157 control units and 470 VVPATs malfunctioned across the state.

The election in two constituencies, Jayanagar and Rajarajeshwari Nagar, both in Bengaluru was postponed earlier.

In Jayanagar, the polling was also deferred due to the death of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate, B N Vijay Kumar, on May 4. In Rajarajeshwari Nagar, the polling was postponed after a bundle of fake voter identity cards was found from a flat in Bengaluru's Jalahalli locality by the EC officials on May 8. Tight security arrangements were made to ensure smooth and peaceful single-phase polling in 222 constituencies, including 36 reserved for the Scheduled Castes (SC) and 15 for the Scheduled Tribes (ST) and 26 in Bengaluru. (ANI)</s>BENGALURU: The Chief Electoral Officer-Karnataka Sanjiv Kumar on Saturday said that the exact percentage of polling will be known by Sunday morning after completion of demustering tonight.

Addressing the media, he said that polling in all 222 assembly constituencies in 33 election districts is peaceful, except few incidents of group clashes in five places, rejection of polling process in a polling station in Bengaluru due to a technical snag.

Thanking voters, polling officials and other personnel who helped in making the election peaceful, he said, “EC is happy with the polling in Bengaluru but there were individual cases booked with regard to violation of model code of conduct. All preparations have been done for counting on May 15,” he said when asked about the alleged distribution of money in Bengaluru South.

Briefing about advanced M-3 EVMs introduced in six constituencies in Bengaluru for the first time in the country, Kumar said that it was successful and this will be introduced all over India in the coming days and a decision will be taken by EC soon.

Highlighting the special initiatives taken up by EC in Karnataka, he said that 606 pink polling stations were opened and as many as 26 polling stations were completely handled by specially-abled persons who carried out the duty well. A total of 28 ethnic polling stations were established, an app was launched to check voters list, total 1.86 lakh reminders were sent to voters through Facebook and 14,485 wheelchairs were provided for polling stations, he said.

Cong, BJP workers clash; BBMP corporator injured

 Bengaluru: Tension prevailed at Hampinagar (RPC Layout) after Congress and BJP workers had a fight over a trivial issue outside a polling booth, in which local BBMP corporator Anand Hosur sustained injuries. The police resorted a mild lathi charge to disperse the crowd and the injured, Hosur, was rushed to a nearby hospital. A police officer said the incident took place at a nearby polling booth. Around afternoon, the BBMP corporator Hosur (BJP) had visited the booth to know about voting statistics. The Congress workers, who noticed him inside the booth, got angry and alleged that Anand had violated the election code of conduct by entering the booth. They started an argument with him and in a fit of rage, both party workers abused each other.</s>Iraq's election commission says the results of the first national vote since declaring victory over ISIL are expected within two days.

The vote on Saturday saw a record low turnout, with 44 percent of eligible voters casting ballots. No election since 2003 has had turnout below 60 percent. More than 10 million Iraqis voted.

Polling station officials blamed the low turnout on a combination of tight security measures, voter apathy and irregularities linked to a new electronic voting system.

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is running to keep his post. His chief rivals are political parties with closer ties to Iran, as well as the influential cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, a staunch nationalist who campaigned against government corruption.

Nearly 7,000 candidates from dozens of political alliances are competing for the 329 seats in parliament.

Al-Abadi, who heads the Nasr (Victory) coalition, is seen by some as a front runner, but he faces stiff competition from Hadi al-Amiri, a paramilitary commander heading the Fatah alliance.

Another strong contender is Nouri al-Maliki, a former prime minister who is being seen as a possible kingmaker in the vote.

The results are expected within 48 hours of the vote, according to the independent body overseeing the process.

By Saturday afternoon, less than 20 percent of residents in the capital, Baghdad, had turned out to vote, according to the Iraqi High Electoral Commission (IHEC).

Initial IHEC reports put the overall turnout at 32 percent, compared to about 60 percent in the last elections four years ago.

Commenting on the low participation of voters, Renad Mansour, a research fellow at UK-based think tank Chatham House, told Al Jazeera: "Many Iraqis, especially in Sunni areas do not view the election as legitimate. Many boycotted the vote because they do not believe it will make a difference."

The low turnout was also partly blamed on a curfew and vehicle ban that came into force after midnight across several provinces in Iraq.

The government restrictions left the streets of the capital, Baghdad, looking empty during the early hours of the vote.

With public transport also banned, only vehicles belonging to security forces and politicians were allowed to move around.

"The polling stations were far away from us and without cars allowed, it was really hard to get to the polling stations," said Amal, a housewife living in central Baghdad.

The ban was partially lifted by al-Abadi later in the day, in an effort to improve turnout

Meanwhile, only 285,000 people out of Iraq's displaced population of two million had registered to vote, the electoral commission said.

The poll saw the implementation of a new electronic voting system for the first time in a bid to reduce electoral fraud.

Yet, many wanting to cast their ballots at different polling stations across the country complained of irregularities.

"We visited IHEC and checked the biometric system, we were very surprised how faulty the workflow and management was, we reported this," Hiwa Afandi, the head of the Kurdistan Regional Government's department of information technology, said in a post on Twitter.

"Not using technology is better than a faulty implementation. Auditing and certifying is a must for such application where trust is a big issue," he added.

The IHEC insisted that despite the irregularities, voting hours would not be extended because the electronic voting system had been scheduled to close at 6pm (15:00 GMT).

Negotiations over the formation of a new government are expected to drag on as no single alliance is expected to able to win the 165 seats required for an outright majority.

Instead, the bloc that wins the most seats will have to rely to the support of smaller grouping to achieve majority.

Until a new prime minister is chosen, al-Abadi will remain in office and retain all his powers.

Political power in Iraq is traditionally divided along sectarian lines among the offices of prime minister, president and speaker of parliament.

Since the first elections following the 2003 US-led toppling of Saddam Hussein, the Shia majority has held the position of prime minister, while the Kurds have held the presidency and the Sunnis the post of speaker of parliament.

The constitution sets a quota for female representation, stating that no less than one-fourth of parliament members must be women.

Once the election results are ratified by Iraq's Supreme Court, parliament is required to meet within 15 days.

Its eldest member will chair the first session, during which a speaker will be elected. Parliament must then elect a president by a two-thirds majority vote within 30 days of its first meeting.

The president is charged with naming a member of the largest bloc in parliament - the prime minister-designate - to form a cabinet within 30 days. If that individual fails, the president must nominate a new person for the post of prime minister.

In the past, forming a government has taken up to eight months. In 2005, allegations of vote-rigging delayed the ratification of election results for weeks.

Kurdish areas - where a banned referendum on secession was held last year - witnessed a relatively higher voter turnout compared to other parts across the country, according to reporters on the ground.

"In Kurdish areas, mobilisation might have worked in getting people out to vote. One of the main reasons behind this is that the referendum made Kurds realise that they cannot ignore Baghdad because when they did during the referendum, it backfired," explained Mansour, the Chatham House analyst.

Following the September 2017 referendum, the Iraqi military seized control of disputed territories, including the city of Kirkuk.

The territorial losses left many Kurds disillusioned by their leaders.

As a result, the two main parties that have traditionally dominated the local political scene - the Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP) and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) – are now expected to see a drop in their share of the vote.

In contrast, smaller political forces such as Goran (Change), the Democracy and Justice Party - led by former senior PUK official Barham Saleh - and the Kurdistan Islamic Group - also known as Komalk led by Ali Bapir - are likely to record a strong poll showing.

In Baghdad, some Sunni voters expressed hope the election would help Iraq move beyond sectarian politics and become more inclusive.

"I voted for new people to come into the government," Haitham Hasballah, from the capital's neighbourhood of Mansouria, told Al Jazeera.

"The political situation in Iraq has been getting from bad to worse, so we definitely need new faces."

Another voter, Shaker Mahmoud, told Al Jazeera: "I voted for new people. I don't want anyone form the old government. I'm hopeful that change will take Iraq towards a positive direction."

Still, others in central Baghdad said they voted for al-Abadi, giving him credit for Iraq's military victory over ISIL.

After ISIL overran nearly a third of Iraq in the summer of 2014, the group launched waves of suicide bombings targeting civilians in Baghdad and in other areas of government-controlled territory.

But with support from a US-led coalition and Iran, al-Abadi oversaw a fierce war against the group's fighters and declared victory over ISIL in December 2017.

Despite al-Abadi's military achievements, Iraq continues to struggle with an economic downturn sparked in part by a drop in global oil prices, entrenched corruption and years of political gridlock.

The war left more than two million Iraqis, mostly Sunnis, displaced from their homes, with cities, towns and villages suffering heavy destruction. Repairing infrastructure across Anbar and Nineveh provinces, both majority Sunni areas, will cost tens of billions of dollars.

The election comes at a critical juncture in Iraq's relations with Iran and the US.

Both countries are allies of the Iraqi government but their bilateral ties are increasingly strained.

Additional reporting by Arwa Ibrahim from Doha, and Osama al-Zein and Bakr Ubaidi in Baghdad
A low turnout is reported, but no bombings at polling stations.