The first round of Iran’s presidential election has revealed shrinking support for both reformist and conservative candidates, despite some voters pushing for change.

Masoud Pezeshkian, the reformist contender, and ultraconservative Saeed Jalili led the polls in Friday’s vote to replace the late ultraconservative president Ebrahim Raisi.

The election was marked by a historically low voter turnout of around 40% of the 61 million eligible voters.

“The reformists brought out the big guns and tried their best to mobilize their base, but it was simply insufficient,” said Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group think tank.

The conservatives failed to garner sufficient votes “despite the tremendous resources they deployed.”

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The combined votes of Jalili and conservative parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who came in third, totaled 12.8 million - well below Raisi’s nearly 18 million votes in the 2021 election. Over one million ballots were also spoiled, further indicating a decline in voter enthusiasm.

Analysts say the low turnout and shrinking support for both reformists and conservatives reflect a growing sentiment among Iranians for change, even as they have seemingly lost faith in the political process.

The results point to an electorate increasingly disillusioned with the country’s leadership and the limited options available to them.