Polling centres opened at 07:00 local time today. While the elections are held under tight security, 7,166 polling centres will close at 18:00 local time.

Some 17 million voters have been called to the polls to choose between 6,000 candidates competing for 285 seats in these provinces.

Municipal councils, established after the American occupation and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003, enjoy considerable privileges in the country. They are authorised to elect the provincial governor and to allocate budgets for health, transport and education, using attractive funds released by the federal government in Baghdad, which is heavily dependent on oil revenues. At the same time, however, these assemblies are often characterised by corruption. Opponents see the provincial assemblies as hotbeds of corruption that encourage nepotism.

The vote is expected to strengthen the Coordination Framework groups, a pro-Iranian coalition representing Shia parties and former Hashd al-Shaabi paramilitaries integrated into the regular forces.

The influential Shia religious leader Muqtada Sadr, currently in opposition, is boycotting the elections in 15 provinces.