On June 29, the votes for the Iranian presidential election were counted, and no one received a majority of the votes, and the voting will enter the second round, and the results of the second round will be announced on July 5.
What was the situation in the first round of elections? How will the second round of elections be conducted? Why are voters hitting record lows?
What was the situation in the first round of elections?
According to Reuters, there was no crowding at polling sites in Tehran and other cities, with the two top picks, Pezeshkian and Jalili, receiving 42.5 percent and 38.6 percent of the vote, respectively.
The turnout was about 40 percent, and the more 61 million people in Iran had the right to vote, or about 25 million people who voted.
More than 1 million votes were invalid in this vote, which means that people are obliged to vote but do not want to choose any candidate.
In 2021, when Raisi was elected president, the turnout was 48.8%, but the overall turnout was less than 40%, and the voter turnout showed a downward trend.
How will the second round of elections be conducted?
The second round of voting will be for Jalili and Pezeshkian, with one of the two elected presidents.
Born in 1965, Jalili is a conservative Iranian politician and diplomat who served as secretary to Iran's Supreme National Security Council and Iran's chief nuclear negotiator.
Pezeshkian, born in 1954, is an Iranian reformist politician. He has served as the President of Tabriz Medical University in Iran, the Minister of Health of Iran, the First Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, and has served as a member of the Iranian Parliament for many consecutive terms.
Jalili differs from Pezeshkian's views in that Jalili opposes Western views and will staunch his defense of the Islamic Revolution in Iran once elected.
Conversely, Pezeshkian's election will help ease tensions between Iran and the West and promote future economic reforms in Iran.
When considering public opinion, we also need to take into account that Iran's best leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is 85 years old, and he may choose a president who can guarantee a smooth succession for his successor.
Why are voters hitting record lows?
Voter turnouts have repeatedly hit record lows, and this is not only a problem for Iran as a country, but also a common problem in American-style democracies, where turnout is generally less than 50%.
In stark contrast, Putin won 83 percent of the vote in the election, a bid that no other American-style democracy can match.
But why are turnout generally low in these countries?
When they first got the right to vote, the people of these countries were excited and willing to vote, but then this enthusiasm gradually faded.
Because you'll find that few of those who are running are familiar to you, and you're voting for them only on the basis of their promises during the campaign.
But when they are elected, you will find that the promises they made have become lies, and everything they do is out of your pocket.
Your life is not getting as good as you thought it would be, but it is getting worse and worse.
After repeating this a few times, people gradually became disappointed, feeling that no matter who they voted for, the final result would be the same - their lives would become poor.
Eventually, people stop voting, fall into disappointment with the social system, and begin to indulge their lives, stop planning for the future, and use up all their strength to hold on to their lives.
Finally, let's summarize in one sentence.
You can't put your hopes in people you don't know, the past is, and the future will be.