The Iraqi Kurdistan legislative elections of 2009 took place on 25 July 2009. A total of 2.5 million citizens of Iraqi Kurdistan were eligible to vote for the parliamentary and presidential elections. People currently living outside Iraqi Kurdistan were not allowed to vote. The elections followed the Iraqi Kurdistan elections of 2005. The parliamentary elections coincided with the direct election of the President of Kurdistan. Unlike the Iraqi Kurdistan elections of 2005, the president of Kurdistan was to be chosen directly through popular votes. A referendum to approve the constitution of Iraqi Kurdistan originally planned for the same day was put back to 1 August.