State-Run Media Paints Disastrous Picture of Election, Acknowledges Low Participation and “Mystery” of Invalid Votes
The March 1st Iranian election witnessed the lowest voter turnout in the regime’s history, according to the state-run newspaper Farhikhtegan. This marks the third consecutive election with participation below 50%, highlighting a legitimacy crisis for the regime.
Sharq, another state-run newspaper, stated on March 4th, “The 12th parliament has an unusual composition. Representatives will be making decisions for over 80 million Iranians, despite receiving fewer than 10,000 votes each.”
Another, Javan, admitted on the same day, “Many people, including those influenced by enemy propaganda, internal disputes, and other motives, chose not to participate. This is a significant issue that demands serious consideration.”
Ham Mihan, a state-run daily, emphasized on March 4th, “The upcoming parliament will be significantly weaker than the current one. The elected representatives lack the necessary mandate, as seen in Tehran, where the top candidate received only 5% of eligible votes, and the 30th candidate received less than 1%.”
The same daily questioned, “Three days after the election, the mystery surrounding invalid votes remains unsolved. Similar to 2021, invalid votes appear significant once again. This issue is crucial because it impacts the true participation rate.”
A government official, Saeed Shariati, revealed that in Tehran alone, invalid votes exceeded 500,000.
Hossein Dehbashi, a regime official, commented, “The combined number of invalid votes, even without any campaign, surpassed all political candidates.”
Abolfazl Ghadyani, a former editor, stated, “Nearly half of the candidates entered parliament with an average of just 4.5% of eligible voters’ support.”
Bahar News, another state-run daily, reported, “In Shiraz, with over 1.3 million eligible voters, only 78,000 voted for the leading candidate. This implies that nearly 95% of the population did not participate.”
Etemad, another state-run daily, emphasized, “The low number of valid votes, the low percentage for the top candidate in Tehran, and the high number of invalid votes paint a worrying picture. A vast majority of Tehran residents abstained from voting.”
The daily further noted, “The Ministry of Interior remains silent on the participation rate in Tehran. Some estimates suggest a 40% turnout of invalid votes in Tehran.”
Finally, Farhikhtegan, owned by an advisor to the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, declared on March 4th, “The 41% turnout in the March 1st election is the lowest in the Islamic Republic’s history. Three consecutive elections with less than 50% participation hold significant meaning, especially regarding the regime’s legitimacy.”
The daily elaborated, “Several factors contributed to the low turnout: widespread societal discontent in various sectors, unaddressed issues from previous uprisings, and the political factions’ inability to address existing grievances.”
