Iranian officials announced that they would be extending the nation's election following an extremely low voter turnout of only 27% amid calls for a boycott.
Authorities made the unexpected announcement of keeping polling booths until 10:00 p.m. in an effort to raise the turnout statistics. They also predicted that the eventual figure would reach more than 42.5% recorded the last time parliamentary seats were contested in 2020.
Iran's Low Voter Turnout
The current administration in Iran has placed great store in boosting turnout above the 2020 figure, which was considered a historic low since it believes that it would be a strong show of political engagement. They think that this would ward off claims that it has run out of legitimacy or is unable to deliver on the basic requirements of the Iranian people for economic progress and personal freedom.
Social media outlets that are opposed to the Iranian regime have shown near-empty polling stations. However, a spokesperson for the Guardian Council, which is the body that vets candidates, said that there were no problems with the election, adding that turnout would reach 2020 levels, as per The Guardian.
Officials' announcement said that they would extend polling hours due to rising numbers of people going to the polls but opposition groups have argued that the decision was a panic measure. This comes as the voter turnout during the country's 2016 elections was recorded at 62%.
Many already expect that the increasingly factionalized hardliners will further tighten their grip on the parliament as well as on the Assembly of Experts. The latter is an 88-strong body that is responsible for appointing the next supreme leader when the incumbent, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, dies.
Many reformists have been disqualified from standing, which made the election a sham in the eyes of many voters who already see the nation as being run not by politicians but by branches of the security services and the army.
Parliamentary Elections
The Middle Eastern country held its first parliamentary election on Friday following the 2022 mass protests over the death of Mahsa Amini. It was not immediately clear if voter apathy or an active desire to send a message to the nation's theocracy resulted in the low voter turnout in the latest elections, according to CBS News.
Officials, including Supreme Leader Khamenei, sought to link voter turnout directly to taking a stand against Iran's enemies. Others, such as imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi, called for a boycott of the election that they called a "sham."
Out of the roughly 15,000 candidates who are looking to win one of the seats in the 290-member parliament, only about 116 are considered to be relatively moderate or pro-reform candidates.
The situation comes as the country's economy continues to stagnate under Western sanctions related to Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program as well as the nation's arming of militia proxies in the Middle East and Russia in its war on Ukraine.
One voter said on Friday that there were too many problems, adding that they were sad and sorrowful. The individual, who only gave the name Sajjad, added that they were voicing out their criticism as much as they could, said Aljazeera.
