Key Institutions & Oversight
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Guardian Council
A 12-member body (six clerics appointed by the Supreme Leader, six jurists elected by Parliament) holds sweeping powers—it vets all candidates for presidency, parliament, and the Assembly of Experts, can disqualify those “insufficiently loyal,” and tasks itself with supervising the election process electionguide.org+11iranintl.com+11aceproject.org+11en.wikipedia.org+1iranintl.com+1. -
Supreme Leader
Iran’s ultimate authority—beyond popular control. The Supreme Leader appoints clerics on the Guardian Council and can veto presidential decrees, ensuring the president remains subordinate iranintl.com.
Election Types & Systems
Election | Term | Voting System | Candidate Vetting |
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Presidential | 4 years (2-term max) | Absolute majority; if needed, runoff between top two en.wikipedia.org+5en.wikipedia.org+5aceproject.org+5shora-gc.ir+1en.wikipedia.org+1 | Open registration → Guardian Council filters → only approved candidates appear on ballot |
Parliament (Majlis) | 4 years | 285 seats from single/multi-member districts; ≥20% threshold in round 1; otherwise runoff covers top candidates ; 5 reserved seats for religious minorities en.wikipedia.org+15en.wikipedia.org+15reuters.com+15 | Same vetting by Guardian Council |
Assembly of Experts | 8 years | Multi-seat plurality / single-seat first-past-the-post | Guardian Council approves all candidates |
There are also local council elections every four years, but these follow similar vetting and oversight.
Voter Eligibility & Turnout
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Who can vote?
All Iranian citizens aged 18+ are eligible, no pre-registration required—voters only need their birth certificate or national ID stamped at polling en.wikipedia.org. -
Turnout patterns
Historically high (60–70%), but recent elections have seen decline: ~48% in 2021 presidential, ~41% in 2024 parliamentary/Assembly votes electionguide.org+4commonslibrary.parliament.uk+4aljazeera.com+4.
How It Works in Practice
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Candidate vetting
The Guardian Council exercises strict control—excluding reformist or moderate figures en masse, which has effectively limited electoral competition theguardian.com+14reuters.com+14thesun.co.uk+14. -
Election operations
The Ministry of Interior runs the logistics (polling stations, mobile ballot boxes, election executive committees). Guardian Council monitors activity and can invalidate votes at any level if irregularities are found . -
Result counting
Manual counting (ballots plus stubs/ink-stamped IDs) can be slow and is prone to manipulation concerns. Mobile polling (e.g., in barracks or hospitals) adds scrutiny difficulties .
Criticisms and Constraints
Analysts consistently argue that Iran's system lacks genuine democratic choice:
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Heavy vetting by the unelected Guardian Council narrows candidate fields to regime-approved individuals, making elections essentially "meaningless" for genuine change iranintl.com+1time.com+1iranintl.com.
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Supreme Leader's ultimate control—including power to void presidential decrees and disqualify candidates—ensures real authority remains outside elected offices iranintl.com.
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Transparency concerns, such as absence of independent international monitors, secrecy around mobile ballot box operations, and selective counting, raise questions about fairness reddit.com+10bbc.com+10iranintl.com+10.
In Summary
Iran holds elections at multiple levels—presidential, parliamentary, expert assembly, and local councils—using multi-round voting systems. But candidate selection is tightly controlled, the Supreme Leader holds overriding authority, and the overall process is seen by many observers as managed and uncompetitive, with declining voter participation reflecting mounting public disenchantment.