Voting is normally considered a duty, an act that represents the maximum exercise of democracy. However, there are situations in which choosing not to vote can be used to express – peacefully – dissent from a government's actions. That's what happened in Iran during the legislative elections on March 1, in which the lowest voter turnout was recorded since 1979 – the year of the Khomeinist revolution: only 41% of the population voted. In doing so, many Iranians reaffirmed their desire to one day have a reformed political system that reduces restrictions on freedom. One week before the elections, we are shedding light on what happened and the signal sent by the population to the Theocracy.
A nation with a complex institutional structure
Since the 1979 Revolution – which brought religious leaders led by Rohullah Khomeini – Iran has a particular institutional structure. Within it, in a certain sense, aspects close to a dictatorship and others closer to democracy coexist. These elements make it a country not easy to fit into Western political categories.
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The system is dominated by organizations composed of clerics and headed by the Supreme Guide (today Ali Khamenei), but also includes elective personalities, such as the President of the Republic and parliamentarians. These figures do not always have the same orientation, but so far – apart from a few moderate parentheses – the most conservative positions have prevailed. In this sense, the legislative elections of March 1 were no exception, having clearly rewarded traditionalist candidates.
Iranian youth make themselves heard by not voting
The March 1 elections in Iran will, however, be remembered for one significant fact: the highest rate of abstentionism recorded since the birth of the Islamic Republic. Furthermore, already in the 2020 legislative elections, the turnout rate was only 42%. It is an unequivocal signal that the new generations are sending to a regime that does not want to renew itself. – in light of the control exercised by religious organizations over the entire electoral process.
What makes this data even more relevant is the fact that it was the first election held in Iran after the death of Mahsa Amini, the young woman arrested in 2022 for not wearing the Islamic veil correctly. This event gave rise to a vast wave of popular protests – which also extended to the the Web – who spread it throughout the country slogan “Woman, life, freedom“.
Although it may seem paradoxical, the younger generations have chosen to “not vote” precisely to demonstrate their need for democracy. Indeed, it should be noted that in these elections, most reform candidates were rejected by the Guardian Council – the body responsible for controlling the participants.
There is an Iran that looks to the future beyond inaction
Understanding the weight of the electoral boycott in the country of Supreme Guide Ali Khamenei and the president Ebrahim Raïssi (elected in 2021) a fact must be considered: Voter turnout is of great importance to Iranian political leaders. In fact, they consider this to be the main way to legitimize their power in the eyes of other countries and are therefore quick to invite citizens to vote.
The message that desertion from the polls sends us is that there is an Iran – that of the people, of young people and of women – which knows how to look further than the authorities, because it is the beating heart of a territory and its future. In addition, it conveys to us the idea of the variety and complexity of a nation, beyond any form of stereotype.
