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Iran elections – lowest turnout in country’s history
The parliamentary elections represent a significant assessment of the clerical establishment's legitimacy.
FILE PHOTO: An Iranian cleric casts his vote during parliamentary elections at a polling station in Tehran, Iran, March 1, 2024. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS/ File Photo
Unofficial estimates on Saturday indicated that approximately 40% of eligible voters participated in Iran’s parliamentary election, viewed as a crucial test of the legitimacy of the clerical establishment. This turnout would mark the lowest since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
With prominent moderates and conservatives abstaining from participation and reformists denouncing Friday’s election as lacking in freedom and fairness, the competition primarily involved hardliners and lesser-known conservatives who profess allegiance to Islamic revolutionary principles.
The official turnout figure may be announced by the interior ministry later on Saturday.
The leadership in Tehran aimed for a significant turnout to restore their legitimacy, which had been significantly undermined by anti-government protests between 2022 and 2023, leading to some of the most severe political unrest since the revolution.
However, official surveys indicated that only around 41% of eligible Iranians intended to cast their votes. This seemed to be confirmed as Hamshahri newspaper reported that more than 25 million people, constituting 41% of eligible voters, had participated.
Iran experienced a record low turnout of 42.5% in the parliamentary elections of 2020, whereas approximately 62% of voters took part in 2016.
Hamshahri described Friday’s turnout as “a 25-million slap” to those advocating for an election boycott, featuring a front-page headline alongside an illustration of a ballot paper hitting U.S. President Joe Biden’s face.
The election occurred against a backdrop of mounting frustration over Iran’s economic challenges and constraints on political and social liberties.
Simultaneously, there was a vote for the 88-seat Assembly of Experts, a significant body responsible for selecting the successor to the 84-year-old Khamenei.
