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Presidential election could let Iranian pollsters shine

Contrary to perceptions of public opinion surveys in Iran being unreliable, Iranian pollsters are increasingly capable of providing high-quality polling data.
Presidential candidate Hassan Rouhani casts his ballot during the Iranian presidential election in Tehran June 14, 2013. Millions of Iranians voted to choose a new president on Friday, urged by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to turn out in force to discredit suggestions by arch foe the United States that the election would be unfair. REUTERS/Yalda Moayeri (IRAN - Tags: POLITICS ELECTIONS) - RTX10ND9

During the lead-up to the 2013 Iranian presidential election, the earliest signs of Hassan Rouhani’s initially unanticipated victory came from a surprising source: high-quality polling conducted by Iranian pollsters. In the runup to the presidential election in May 2017, all signs point to a greater availability of Iranian polling data than in the past.

ESOMAR World Research, the polling industry’s international trade association, lists a dozen Iranian members on its website, a number comparable to other emerging market economies, like the Philippines. The Iranian Marketing Research Association has 24 institutional and individual members listed on its website. With the opportunity presented by the next presidential campaign in Iran, one can expect new players to enter the market.

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