The United States said on March 4 that low turnout in Iran's election was a new sign of discontent in the country. "I don't think there's any doubt that there's discontent about the regime's rule," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters. Miller said many Iranians likely assessed that the elections would not be free and fair and chose not to participate. Election authorities said earlier that conservatives and ultraconservatives secured a large majority in the parliamentary elections held on March 1 in which turnout was 41 percent. Many candidates, including moderates and reformists, had been disqualified from running.
U.S. Says Low Turnout In Iranian Elections Another Sign Of 'Discontent'
Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, casts his ballots during the parliamentary and key clerical body elections at a polling station in Tehran on March 1.