Iran held parliamentary elections on March 1, 2024, which saw a record-low turnout and controversy surrounding the voting procedures [944556c3]. The state-run IRNA news agency reported an unofficial turnout figure of 41%, with about 25 million voters participating [944556c3]. However, videos and reports suggest that many people used their national ID numbers to vote instead of birth certificates, raising concerns about the possibility of multiple voting [944556c3]. The absence of a nationwide electronic voting registration system further adds to these concerns [944556c3].
Social media users have accused the Islamic Republic of engaging in statistical manipulation by registering citizens' national ID numbers in the system before they actually cast their ballots [944556c3]. Numerous videos have circulated on social media showing citizens' national ID numbers recorded in the system before they visited polling stations [944556c3]. Reports indicate census manipulation, with some users finding themselves registered as having voted before they even went to the polling stations [944556c3]. In one village, ballot boxes were set up and votes were registered using villagers' national identification numbers to prevent a zero-vote record [944556c3].
Despite the low turnout and controversy surrounding the voting procedures, government-affiliated media declared voter participation to be more than 40% just minutes after the voting deadline [944556c3]. However, videos and images contradict these assertions [944556c3]. The United States criticized the elections, stating that they do not truly represent the Iranian people and that the regime has already disqualified thousands of candidates [944556c3]. The United States pledged to stand with Iranians in their fight for a free and democratic future [944556c3].
The low voter turnout and controversial voting procedures have further highlighted the frustration and lack of confidence in the Iranian government [d748c48a] [944556c3]. The economic situation in Iran has deteriorated, leading to protests and a lack of trust in the regime [d748c48a] [944556c3]. The fundamentalists, who oppose relations with the West, were expected to have the upper hand in these elections [d748c48a] [944556c3]. The Guardian Council, controlled by the fundamentalists, had pre-selected their favorite candidates and disqualified many others [d748c48a] [944556c3]. Theocracy in Iran is under attack, but the regime is trying to create legitimacy through these elections [d748c48a] [944556c3].
Voter turnout in the Iranian parliamentary elections hit a historic low, with only about 40% of the electorate casting a ballot [bdb66eb3]. This marks the lowest turnout since the 1979 revolution [bdb66eb3]. Many ordinary Iranians expressed their despair at the economy, anger over the repression of protests in 2022, and cynicism about a regime that disqualified candidates not in Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's hard-line camp [bdb66eb3]. Former president Mohammad Khatami stated that Iran is far from having free, participatory, and competitive elections [bdb66eb3]. Hassan Rouhani, a former president, was disqualified from running for the Assembly of Experts, demonstrating the regime's tightening grip on power [bdb66eb3]. The reimposition of sanctions by the Trump administration has hurt Iranian society, with 20% of the middle class falling below the poverty line and 80% relying on government handouts [bdb66eb3]. However, the sanctions have not significantly impacted the regime's control [bdb66eb3]. Economic deprivation may have limited the scope of the 2022 protests [bdb66eb3]. Iran's economy continues to fail, with soaring prices and a plummeting currency value [bdb66eb3]. The regime's crackdown on free speech and dissent has intensified, with increased rates of executions and tightened conservative laws [bdb66eb3]. The article suggests that the regime's attempts to consolidate control and eliminate opposition candidates have undermined the nation's confidence in the system [bdb66eb3].
A report from the US Department of State affirms that Nigeria's 2023 general elections, despite widespread irregularities, echoed the will of its people [c854449e]. Independent observers concluded that outcomes of presidential, legislative, and state-level elections mirrored voter sentiments, notwithstanding instances of voter suppression, vote buying, campaign activities at polling stations, compromised ballot secrecy, violence, and intimidation [c854449e]. The report also highlights the low participation of women and marginalized groups in the electoral process, with women's political engagement averaging 6.7 percent in elected and appointed roles nationwide [c854449e]. The report criticizes Nigeria's inconsistent implementation of anti-corruption laws, citing pervasive corruption across the country, including within the judiciary [c854449e].
The low voter turnout and controversial voting procedures in both the Iranian and Nigerian parliamentary elections have raised concerns about the legitimacy and transparency of the electoral processes in these countries. The low turnout in Iran reflects the frustration and lack of confidence in the government, exacerbated by the deteriorating economic situation and the regime's crackdown on dissent [d748c48a] [944556c3] [bdb66eb3]. In Nigeria, despite widespread irregularities, the US Department of State report suggests that the elections reflected the will of the people, although it criticizes the low participation of women and marginalized groups and the pervasive corruption in the country [c854449e].
Ranked-choice voting is proposed as a solution to the 'spoiler' problem in American presidential elections [9c533c72]. The system allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference, eliminating the need for a December runoff election. Maine and Alaska have already adopted ranked-choice voting for presidential elections, and 50 American cities and numerous NGOs use it [9c533c72]. However, only 48 states have not passed ranked-choice voting, including the seven swing states that will decide the upcoming election [9c533c72]. Efforts are underway to scale up the use of ranked-choice voting, with Nevada already having it on the ballot this November and movements in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin pushing for change [9c533c72]. The goal is to end the spoiler problem and accommodate voter choices by taking ranked-choice voting national [9c533c72].