TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — A record number of people have applied to become candidates in Iran’s parliamentary elections scheduled for March, the interior ministry said Monday.
The election will be the first since nationwide protests rocked the country last year.
Nearly 49,000 people filed paperwork to run for office during a week-long registration period that ended on Sunday, the ministry’s website said.
That number is more than three times the 16,000 registrations filed in the last election in 2020, when voter turnout was the lowest since 1979, with just over 42% of eligible voters casting their ballots.
There were no details about the registration of prominent political figures or reformist groups. The increase in registrations was due to an easy online registration process.
About 14% of entries were from women, up from 12% in 2020. About 250 current members of parliament with 290 seats have also applied.
Authorities will verify the documents submitted by potential candidates in the coming weeks. The months-long vetting process will conclude at the end of October, when verified candidates can apply. Each candidate must be approved by the Guardian Council, a 12-member administrative body, half of whom are directly appointed by the Supreme Leader.
