Iran’s regime held its premature presidential election on June 28 to choose the successor to Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a helicopter crash on May 19. The regime has been campaigning profusely to convince people to vote in the election.
But reports indicate that the people have not paid heed to the regime’s propaganda efforts and are refusing to show up at the polling stations.
The presidential elections are being held on the heels of a parliamentary elections in March, which was met with massive boycott by the Iranian people. According to reports by the network of PMOI, voter turnout in the March elections was less than 10%.
In fear of another massive boycott, regime supreme leader Ali Khamenei said on the morning of June 28, “The participation of the people and increase in voter turnout is an absolution necessity for the Islamic Republic. The people should not hesitate in voting…. The people should take voting in this political test seriously and participate.”
Nonetheless, reports gathered by PMOI activists across the country show that polling stations are mostly empty since voting started early in the morning.
By 6 PM local time, PMOI activists visited thousands of polling stations in 237 cities across 31 provinces.
In most locations, polling stations were either empty or very few people showed up to vote. In some locations, the regime closed down polling stations to cover up the humiliation of the mass boycott of the election.
Basij members were bused into various polling stations to create the impression of high voter turnout.
In some cities, regime security forces were deployed to prevent people from filming the empty polling stations. Nonetheless, PMOI activists took risks to film outside and inside the polling stations and reveal the truth to the world.
Other reports indicate that the regime is forcing prisoners to vote and threatening to deprive them of furloughs and other basic rights unless they vote and also compel their families to vote in the regime’s election.
While the regime is publicizing the elections, it is also afraid of possible protests. According to reports by the PMOI Social Headquarters, more than 220,000 security troops have been deployed across the country to prevent protests, with at least 43,000 troops in Tehran alone.

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