Economic Crisis and Electoral Turnout in Authoritarian Regimes: Evidence From Iran's Post‐COVID19 Pandemic Era

ABSTRACT How does an economic crisis affect electoral turnout in authoritarian regimes? The paper examines the impact of economic crisis on political participation by studying Iran's post‐Pandemic era. The statistical analysis of the public opinion polls indicates that a crisis of representation intervened between economic hardship and the unprecedented decline in voter turnout in Iran's 2021 presidential election. In this environment, the failure of political factions to address the economic hardship discredited the political establishment in Iran and transformed the pattern of political participation. This setting caused an unprecedented decline in the voters’ turnout and led citizens to resort to street protest as an alternative means of political participation. The paper further demonstrates the role of socioeconomic status in shaping voting behavior. The statistical analysis indicated that middle‐income citizens are less likely to vote which aligns with the existing studies about the impact of sanctions on household expenditure in Iran. An overview of electoral mobilization sheds light on the findings of the statistical analysis by illuminating the shift in participation mode. This review demonstrates that electoral mobilization through youth campaigns transformed into street protests and strikes led by youth, teachers, and industrial workers. The findings of the paper suggest a new mechanism in which economic crisis affects political participation in authoritarian regimes.