The legal regulation of electronic voting، and its role in the integrity of the Iraqi elections

  Information and communication technology is the main  factor to shape  the features of the twenty-first century، whose impact will be reflected on the growth of the global economy، civil societies and governments in general، and on people’s lives in particular.  Its   use  in  political   area  has   many   effect   on  the  life  of  society ،  as  it  entered    various   steps  of electoral  process  to ensure  efficiency ،  accuracy   and  speed  of  its  implementation.

  The context in which technology is applied is an important consideration، and this is especially important   during  choosing a new technology for electoral processes  because  it directly affects     citizens’ vision of the entire electoral process. It is used by the electoral administration to  establish an advanced electoral phenomenon related to elections   to   serve   voters  and   candidates.  Easy use and degree of voter satisfaction، as well as users’ awareness of technology are aspects that should be a priority for the electoral administration in order to ensure that the credibility of the electoral process is not jeopardized by adopting a number of strategies reducing  users’ unrealistic expectations or doubts and ensuring  their confidence، as in every election.

Since  free and fair elections are basic foundations to  establish  a democratic system and the legitimacy of power and its circulation in any country، the international community   and   regional and  national  organizations  concern  this  issue ،  its conditions and guarantees.   This  study   has  aimed  to   investigate  the   elements ،  conditions ، freedom  and  fairness  of  elections.  Therefore،  the  study    showed  the  extent  to which  information  technology   can be   used  in  electoral process   in Iraq ، especially  in the voting   phase   named  electronic  voting.