Understanding Iraq’s electoral information landscape

The event marks the first in-county activity of the Protecting Electoral Processes in the Information Environment project funded by the German Federal Foreign Office (FFO), aimed at strengthening democratic resilience against information-related threats.  

The workshop brought together over 30 participants from across Iraq’s electoral ecosystem – including representatives from the Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC), government institutions, civil society, media, and academia. Over two days, the group discussed how disinformation, online harassment, media dynamics, and institutional communication shape voter trust and electoral credibility in Iraq.

Participants highlighted the growing influence of digital platforms on public opinion, especially during election periods, raised concerns about the spread of false information and online abuse, often with a gendered narrative, and noted how such dynamics contribute to declining public trust and low voter turnout.  

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The workshop created space for open dialogue about entry points for narratives that undermine the credibility of the electoral process, and revealed a strong appetite for collaboration. IHEC representatives shared their experiences and concerns while Iraqi civil society groups, academia, and media representatives presented experiences from their election observation efforts, journalistic work, examples of fact-checking, digital literacy, and community outreach efforts. The workshop also served to identify shared priorities and potential areas of action, including improving institutional communication strategies, addressing online violence, and strengthening collaboration among stakeholders during the electoral cycle.

The event is part of a broader process to map, assess, and draft joint strategies to respond to risks in the information environment around elections. A second workshop is currently being prepared, where participants will develop a roadmap based on the key priority areas identified in the mapping workshop.

As Iraq looks ahead to the November 2025 parliamentary elections, the initiative offers a platform for joint reflection and action, aiming to protect electoral integrity in a rapidly changing information landscape.  

The overall project aims to improve the protection of electoral processes by countering malign influencing practices and learning from evolving discourse and engagement in six different focus countries. Informed by global best practices and exchanges between partner countries, the project will enable national actors in focus countries to identify suggestions for the way forward, work towards implementing suggestions, and share lessons learned with global audiences. The project is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office and implemented by International IDEA.