Voters in Iraqi Kurdistan are set to head to the polls on Oct. 20 for long-delayed elections for the Kurdistan Parliament. The electoral process will look different from previous cycles. Instead of a regional commission, the federal Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) is now responsible for running the vote. Moreover, while foreign diplomats in Erbil will be watching at some polling stations, there will be no dedicated monitoring mission like when voters cast ballots in the 2021 Iraqi parliamentary elections.

As a result, the upcoming polls may serve as a preview of how campaigns and elections could operate across Iraq in the...