"We have decided to extend voting by one hour because we received complaints from some voters because they could not find their names on voting lists," said Hamdia al-Husseini, head of the electoral department at the commission.

Polling stations will now close at 7.00 pm (1600 GMT) across the autonomous region of Kurdistan, after having opened at 8.00 am (0500 GMT).

Saturday's vote was being held six months after provincial elections took place in the rest of Iraq, except for disputed Kirkuk, where a date for polls has yet to be set.

More than 2.5 million Kurds were eligible to vote in the elections. Final results are not expected for several days, as ballots must be collected in the regional capital Arbil before being transported to Baghdad for the count.

Five candidates have registered for the presidential race, including incumbent and favourite Massud Barzani, while 24 political lists will contest the 111 seats in the assembly which first convened in 1992.

Legislative seats in Kurdistan are awarded via a form of proportional representation.