Voter turnout in Iran’s parliamentary elections on Friday was reported at 40%, marking the lowest voter turnout since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, according to semi-official sources from Iran.
The election followed anti-government protests in 2022-23, which escalated into some of Iran’s worst political unrest since the 1979 Islamic revolution and coincided with growing frustration over the sanctions-hit country’s economic troubles.
Notably, heavyweight figures from the reformists, centrists, and conservatives abstained from participating, calling the election unfree and unfair. This left the electoral contest primarily between hard-liners and low-key conservatives, both loyal to Islamic revolutionary ideals.
‘Hamshahri’ a local newspaper described the turnout as “a 25-million slap” to calls for an election boycott, in a front-page headline. It reported that 41% of eligible voters participated in the elections, a slight decrease from the record-low turnout of 42.5% in the 2020 parliamentary elections.
More than 15,000 candidates contested for the 290-seat parliament on Friday. The election was conducted simultaneously with a vote for the 88-seat Assembly of Experts, an influential body responsible for selecting 84-year-old Supreme Leader Khamenei’s successor.
The elections are seen as a crucial test for Tehran’s rulers, who face the challenge of securing a high turnout to affirm their legitimacy amid increasing public disillusionment with the nation’s economic challenges and restrictions on political and social freedoms.