Iranian Elections: Low Turnout and Ongoing Opposition to Islamic Republic

In the wake of the tragic death of Iranian President Ibrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash in Azerbaijan, it has been announced that presidential elections will be held in Iran on Friday, June 28. A research institute called GAMAAN, based in the Netherlands, conducted a survey which revealed that over 65% of Iranian people do not plan to participate in the upcoming elections. Only around 22% of the participants stated that they will vote, while 12% remain undecided.

The survey, which included more than 77,000 Iranian residents, focused on literate individuals over the age of 19, representing 90% of the country’s adult population. In a previous survey conducted by GAMAAN last year on elections to the Islamic Council, it was found that over three quarters of the Iranian people did not intend to participate, with about 75% expressing a desire for the overthrow of the Islamic Republic.

Following the parliamentary elections held earlier this year, the government reported a participation rate of about 41%, the lowest in the history of the Islamic Republic. Reasons cited for not voting in these elections included opposition to