Parliamentary Elections

The Majles, formally the Islamic Consultative Assembly, is Iran’s national parliament. The Inter-Parliamentary Union classifies its structure as unicameral: there is one parliamentary chamber. Its electoral-system profile places elections in the plurality/majority family and identifies a two-round system. Voting is not compulsory. Those classifications provide an introduction, but they do not replace the detailed rules governing individual constituencies and the conditions for a runoff. s1

The constitution assigns supervision of parliamentary elections to the Guardian Council. This supervisory institution must be distinguished from parliament itself: voters select legislators, while another body exercises electoral oversight. s2

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Candidate approval substantially shapes the field before voting begins. The House of Commons Library’s account of the 2024 elections describes the exclusion of many reformist and moderate candidates, including serving parliamentarians. It also explains that candidates commonly compete through groups and factions rather than through cohesive parties resembling those familiar to many international readers. Reformist and conservative labels describe broad tendencies; neither should be assumed to denote a single disciplined bloc. s3

The same briefing links restrictions on expression and association to limits on political participation. This matters when interpreting a result: the distribution of seats reflects competition among those permitted to stand, rather than a comprehensive test of every political position held in society. s3

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The 2024 election renewed the full legislature, with 290 seats contested. IPU’s completed-election record reports 14 women elected and describes conservative, or principlist, candidates as the dominant force. It records turnout at approximately 41 percent and places the election against a background of economic difficulty, disqualifications, and boycott calls. These circumstances are relevant context, but they do not identify the individual motives of everyone who abstained. s4

The runoff strengthened conservative control, according to Associated Press reporting after the second round. AP also described the exclusion of reformist candidates as a major feature of the contest. Its account makes clear that a runoff can complete the allocation of parliamentary seats while leaving the broader restrictions on political competition intact. s5

National turnout also conceals geographic differences. The Commons Library identified Tehran and some Kurdish- and Baluch-populated areas among places with particularly low participation. A national percentage should consequently not be treated as a description of every locality. s3

For a careful reading, distinguish the electoral formula, the approved candidate field, the constituency results, and the eventual parliamentary factions. Each answers a different question about representation. The inspected evidence supports this account of the 2024 contest, but a complete current guide still requires verification of the consolidated election law and constituency-specific rules. s1s3s4

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