Election Day in Iran: Preliminary Reports Indicate Record Low Turnout

Unofficial indications suggest that voter turnout may be at its lowest since the Islamic revolution of 1979 as Iran starts the process of tallying votes from Friday’s elections. Two votes were held, one for the Assembly of Experts, a body that plays a key role in choosing the supreme leader, and another for the parliament, in which over 61.2 million Iranians were eligible to vote.

Iran was at a crossroads with this election—it was the first since Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Iranian Kurd, died in police detention in September 2022 after she was accused of breaking the country’s severe dress code for women. In addition to the economic crisis, social upheaval, and international sanctions, Iran was facing additional obstacles as a result of the turmoil.


There was disagreement among Iranians on voting participation, even in spite of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s invitation. Early polls predicted a record-low turnout for the legislative elections, with estimates putting it at 41%, which would be the lowest in the previous 12 elections.

The results of most major cities were revealed to the Assembly of Experts, which will choose the nation’s next supreme leader. These findings provide clues about who will rule the nation in the future. When the time comes, the new assembly, which is made up of 88 Islamic clerics, will be crucial since Ayatollah Khamenei is currently 84 years old.

Some municipal councils have declared around half of the 290 parliamentary seats; the final results will take some time to come through, but they should become more evident tomorrow. Given that several politicians encouraged residents to engage in politics, the lack of an official turnout statistic prompts conjecture on voters’ dissatisfaction with the political system.

Iran is under both internal and external pressures; thus, the elections are important for the entire world. The result will impact international relations and regional dynamics in the years to come, determining the nation’s leadership and policies.