The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) has issued a stern warning that the collection or purchase of voter cards is a "serious electoral crime," pledging to disqualify violators and refer them to the judiciary. This comes amid widespread media reports of dozens of arrests and the seizure of thousands of voter cards across multiple Iraqi provinces.

The scandal has cast a shadow over the electoral process, with IHEC Deputy Spokesperson Nibras Abu Suda stating the Commission is closely monitoring the situation.

“If it is proven with strong evidence, it is a dangerous electoral crime aimed at influencing the will of voters and directly harming the electoral process,” Abu Suda said in a televised interview on Tuesday. “The Commission cannot in any way show flexibility or ignore it.”

He emphasized that confirmed violations would lead to strict penalties, including the expulsion of implicated candidates and their cases being handed over to the courts.

According to reports from Shafaq News and other Iraqi media outlets, security forces have detained more than 50 suspects involved in alleged voter card trading in the provinces of Baghdad, Anbar, and Nineveh. In several coordinated operations, authorities confiscated a total of 1,841 voter cards.

The illicit trade involves significant sums of money. Media investigations indicate that voter cards are being sold for prices ranging from $100 to $380 each. A common method involves voters receiving an initial payment of $50, with another $50 promised upon handing over their card on election day.

Hadi al-Salami, a member of the Iraqi Parliament's Integrity Committee, confirmed to The Arab Weekly that prices in Baghdad have reached as high as $380 per card. This aligns with previous reports from monitoring groups like Musings on Iraq, which claimed that factions of the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF) paid up to $400 per card in past elections.

Election watchdog the Tammuz Organization has flagged a concerning new strategy. They report that political groups are now purchasing voter cards not only in their own strongholds but also in districts dominated by rivals. This tactic is seen as a deliberate move to suppress the voter turnout of competitors and manipulate the final results.

Abu Suda clarified that these crimes are prosecuted under Election Law No. 12 of 2018 and Reform Law No. 4 of 2023. The offenses include the illegal possession, buying, or selling of voter cards, impersonating voters, or using the cards to unduly influence election outcomes.