A total of 2.5 million citizens of Kurdistan Region were eligible to vote for the parliamentary and presidential elections.

Unlike the parliamentary elections in 2005, the president of Kurdistan was to be chosen directly through popular votes.

A referendum to approve the constitution of Kurdistan Region originally planned for the same day was put back to 1 August.

The elections for the Kurdistan National Assembly were administered by the Independent High Electoral Commission.

[17] The Progress List also accused regional intelligence agents of threatening to kill their supporters.

[18] Supporters of the Kurdistani and Change Lists clashed in Sulaimaniyah and were separated by police wielding taser guns.

Initial reports gave the Kurdistani List 60 percent of the vote, equating to around 55 seats.

[19] According to the Los Angeles Times, "Change mounted a spirited challenge to the monopoly on power of the two main parties, the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, making this the first competitive election the semiautonomous enclave has seen.