This Friday, 61 million Iranians are called to the polls to elect the country’s next president in an early vote, after the sudden death of former president Ebrahim Raissi in a helicopter accident.
On the eve of the vote, there is no clear frontrunner. Of the six candidates initially approved, four remain in the running after two contenders withdrew on Thursday. All but one are hard-line conservatives, and half of them are subject to Western sanctions.
A recent report by the American organization United Against a Nuclear Iran suggests that the Iranian regime’s electoral manipulation goes far beyond simply filtering candidates. The paper highlights the role of Baqiatallah’s Cultural and Social Headquarters in a comprehensive strategy to influence political and cultural outcomes in Iran.
If no candidate wins an absolute majority on Friday, a second round will be held between the two candidates who came in first on July 5. The winner, elected for a four-year term, will face many challenges: economic crisis, repression and regional tensions.
This election is of particular importance for the Iranian regime, which seeks to renew its legitimacy after a constant decline in electoral participation. Last year, turnout in legislative elections fell to less than 41% nationally, and to less than 10% in the capital, Tehran.
