Millions of Iraqis are heading to polling stations across the country Sunday to elect the upcoming parliament amid hopes that it could solve the country's long-standing crisis. 

Voters are lining up to cast their ballots at 8,273 polling centers, comprised of more than 55,000 polling stations, in Iraq, which opened their doors at 7:00 a.m. local time (0400 GMT).

Electronic devices will automatically close the voting process at 6:00 p.m. local time (1500 GMT).

One person was killed and another wounded after unknown assailants shot security personnel at an election center in the Hemrin area, a security source in Diyala said. 

"Several citizens gathered near the election center (Al-Muhtadi Billah School) in the Hemrin complex, where a soldier fired shots to disperse the citizens who crowded in large numbers," Diyala's security operations said in a statement, confirming the incident. 

(Cover: A man votes at a polling station during the parliamentary election in Kerbala, Iraq, October 10, 2021. /Reuters)