What do Iranians vote for?

Ask An Iranian

Yes, Iran has a functioning democracy, and no, this episode won't help you fully understand its complex structure. We can, however, help you understand that its structure has a presidential role. Yes, every four years Iranians will get out and vote for a candidate to fulfil this role. This year—2021—is one of those years, but rumour has it that not as many Iranians will go and exercise their democratic duties. This doesn't seem to just be a rumour, however! Some of our Iranian audience on Instagram suggested they likely not participate in this Iran presidential election.

In this episode, we do our very best to give you an overview of how Iran is both similar and different in its political structure. We also share our experiences of voting in Iran during recent years. Lastly, we give you an audio glimpse of how Tehran looks as it gears up to election day. Oh, and we delicately skirt around how things went down with previous elections. We're looking at you 2009!

Questions we also get answers to in this episode

• Is Iran a democratic nation?
• What type of political system exists in Iran?
• Does Iran have a president or prime minister?
• Are there political parties in Iran?
• Can women be presidential candidates in Iran?
• What happened when the UAE authorities didn't let Iranians vote?

Music credit: “Mahvash, Parivash”, Jalal Hemmati

Image credit: one of the promotional points for Iranian candidates at the 2021 elections, edited by Ask An Iranian

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