Evaluation of Neighborhood Effects on Iran's Elections; Case Study: The first stage of the Ninth Presidential Elections in Iran

The neighborhood effect is one of the subjects of electoral geography, studying the effects of geographical conditions on voting behaviors and believes. According to this approach the voting behavior of a residents of an area is similar, regardless of their social and economic conditions or affiliation to a political party. Generally, they vote to particular individuals and processes that they feel have similar identity with them. Iran’s geographical situation has created a sense of insecurity. Results of this descriptive –analytical research show that geographical conditions and elements have influenced voting behavior in various Iranian regions. As a result election in Iran is influenced by localism and ethnicism. This cultural background has been one of the fundamental obstacles to the success of democratic processes. An analysis of the data related to the first stage of the ninth presidential elections in Iran show that neighborhood had a strong effect on the outcome of elections.