Iran’s parliamentary election, considered a litmus test for the clerical establishment’s legitimacy, is reported to have registered a historic low in turnout at around 40%, as per unofficial reports in Iranian media on Saturday.
The absence of heavyweight moderates and conservatives on Friday contributed to the low participation, with reformists criticizing the election as unfree and unfair. The contest mainly featured hardliners and low-key conservatives aligned with Islamic revolutionary ideals. Even Mohammad Khatami, Iran’s first reformist president, refrained from voting.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, currently imprisoned and a prominent advocate for women’s rights, denounced the election as a “sham” in a statement shared by her family with Reuters.
Unofficial estimates, reported by Hamshahri and Kayhan newspapers, suggest a turnout of about 40%, consistent with pre-election official surveys projecting approximately 41% participation among eligible Iranians. Hamshahri described this turnout as “a 25-million slap” to calls for an election boycott, featuring a front-page headline and an illustration of a ballot paper striking U.S. President Joe Biden.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused the country’s “enemies,” typically referring to the United States and Israel, of attempting to sow despair among Iranian voters.
Pro-reform newspaper Ham Mihan ran the headline “The Silent Majority,” also pegging the turnout at around 40%. The official announcement of the turnout by the interior ministry is expected later on Saturday. If confirmed, this figure would mark the lowest turnout since Iran’s Islamic revolution in 1979, with the 2020 parliamentary elections already witnessing a decline to 42.5% from around 62% in 2016.
The election takes place against the backdrop of anti-government protests in 2022-23, leading to significant political unrest in Iran. This unrest coincided with mounting dissatisfaction over the country’s economic challenges, reflecting a complex socio-political landscape.
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