Iranian Parliamentary Elections See Low Turnout Amid Calls for Boycott
Iran held parliamentary elections on Friday, but despite officials’ last-minute attempts to increase voter turnout with pleas on social media and roses at polling stations, many people stayed away from the ballot in an act of protest against the government, according to witnesses, interviews, and news reports.
In the capital, Tehran, the turnout was estimated at 11 percent, and across the country, turnout was around 40 percent, even with polls extending their opening hours to 10 p.m. from 8 p.m.
For many ordinary Iranians fed up with a faltering economy and the government’s oppressive rules and crackdowns on protests, their demands for change extend far beyond what is offered by the existing political parties.
Calls for a widespread boycott of the election had gained steam, with prominent activists and dissidents encouraging Iranians to turn the occasion into a protest against the government. The jailed Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi said boycotting the vote was a “moral duty.”
Former President Mohammad Khatami did not vote, marking the first time he had sat out an election. The Reformist Front, a coalition of parties, said it had no candidates in the race and called the elections “meaningless, noncompetitive, and ineffective.”
Despite efforts to lure voters to the ballot with novel methods like handing out roses and staging concerts at polling stations, many polling stations were mostly empty, with only loyal government supporters showing up to vote.
The conservative faction is expected to win and maintain their grip on the Parliament, as most of their rivals from independent, centrist, and reformist political factions were disqualified from the race.
Official results are expected in a few days, though officials have been known to announce results province by province within 24 hours.
Despite the reformist factions having no candidates on the ballot, a split emerged among members, with some prominent figures showing up to vote. A spokesman for a reformist party said they were supporting about 30 candidates whom they considered more centrist and close to reformists.
Overall, the low turnout and widespread boycott of the election reflect the growing discontent among Iranians with the current political system and their desire for real change.
