Building upon a vision of a democratic and inclusive Iraqi society where the youth assume a central role in the political and social spheres, youth inclusion in the electoral process is of utmost importance, for it is upon the youth that lies the great responsibility of change and progress. The responsibility weighing on the shoulders of Iraqi youth is even greater, as it is that of leading the transition to a democratic nation with an active political life. Such transition is impossible without the youth’s active participation in elections and decision-making processes. Based on JSSOR’s mission and long-standing experience in empowering/training women, youth and minorities to play an effective role decision-making processes that shape their lives, strengthening the youth’s political presence, by creating and enabling influential youth cadres who believe in the electoral process as a means for promoting citizenship and rights acquisition is urgently needed.

The project was executed on three stages which are listed below:

Stage 1: educating and empowering youth (Your Vote Your Voice). This stage targeted 300 young men and women from the targeted governorates and the surrounding remote areas, with activities including providing awareness sessions about the elections in every aspect and launching a talk show called #Learn to Share through interactive digital platforms.

Stage 2: training on the electoral process and the voting mechanism. It consisted of training youth cadres to ensure that all cadre members will have the competence to apply accurate, objective, and straightforward election procedures in every administration office, polling station, and counting center. This stage comprised of a 3-days training that includes informational sessions on the electoral process as well as simulation activities on the elections.

Stage 3: Elections and Post-elections. A team was created in each governorate to monitor the electoral process. The teams were trained on observing the electoral process in its different stages based on a defined set of international criteria and transparency guidelines; employing the appropriate tools and mechanisms to foster a transparent and democratic electoral environment; identifying and reporting violations to the voting or vote counting processes; submitting petitions and appeals challenging election results where violations are to take place.