Polls close across Iraq: everything you need to know

Good evening, Polls have officially closed in Iraq, and the vote-counting is now officially underway. Here are the main takeaways from today's election so far:

• Election officials have ruled out extending voting hours despite reports of technical difficulties with voting machines in several polling stations across the country.
• While the final number isn't yet public, turnout is widely believed to have been low across the country, amid low public confidence in Iraq's political class.
• Government officials expect violence to break out after results are announced, and security forces have been put on high alert and given powers to issue local curfews if tensions rise post-vote