Iran’s Presidential Election Heads to Runoff as No Candidate Secures Majority

Iran’s snap presidential election will proceed to a runoff as neither of the leading candidates managed to secure the necessary majority for an outright victory, according to the Iranian Interior Ministry. With more than 19 million ballots counted, moderate candidate Masoud Pezeshkian, a heart surgeon, received approximately 8.3 million votes, while his hard-line rival Saeed Jalili garnered over 7.18 million votes.

Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf trailed in third place with around 2.67 million votes, and cleric Mostafa Pourmohammadi came fourth with only about 158,000 votes. The Tasnim news agency had already predicted a runoff as the country seeks a successor to hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash in May.

Why This Matters: Under Iranian electoral law, a runoff election between the two leading candidates is mandated if no candidate achieves at least 50% plus one vote from all ballots cast, including blank votes. The runoff is scheduled for July 5.

The election takes place amid significant public discontent over economic difficulties and stringent restrictions on political and social freedoms. Reports indicate that voter turnout was low, around 40%, suggesting a diminishing faith in the political system. Analysts have interpreted this low turnout as a sign of eroded credibility within the country’s political establishment.

From an initial pool of 80 candidates, only six were approved by the country’s hard-line watchdog body, with two of these candidates subsequently withdrawing. Each of the remaining candidates has pledged to address Iran’s struggling economy, which suffers from mismanagement, state corruption, and the impact of international sanctions reimposed in 2018 following the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear agreement.

The election outcome will be closely watched, as it may indicate the direction of Iran’s domestic and foreign policies amid ongoing socio-political challenges and economic sanctions.

Key Takeaways:

• Iran's presidential election heads to a runoff between Pezeshkian and Jalili.
• Low voter turnout indicates eroded credibility of Iran’s political system.
• Election follows death of hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash.
• Runoff election scheduled for July 5 due to no candidate securing majority.
• Candidates promise to revive economy amid sanctions and state corruption.