Mellat Polling Center
 | |
| Company type | Governmental |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2020 |
| Headquarters | Baharestan Square, Parliamentary Research Center, Sheikh Fazlollah Noori Building, Mellat Polling Center, , Iran |
Key people | Saeed Ajorloo (Director) |
| Website | mellat.mrc |
The Mellat Polling Center (MPC) (Persian: مرکز افکارسنجی ملت), commonly referred to as Mellat, is affiliated with the Research Center of the Islamic Consultative Assembly (Majlis) of Iran.[1][2] The Center began its operations in November 2020 with a focus on providing public opinion assessment appendices for legislative bills and proposals submitted to the Parliament. Since its inception, it has conducted numerous surveys on economic, social, political, and cultural topics. As of 2023, the Center has been under the directorship of Saeed Ajorlou. Notably, during the second round of the 2024 presidential election, the Mellat Polling Center provided the most accurate prediction of the candidates' vote shares.[3][4]
Introduction and Background
[edit]Established under the supervision of the Research Center of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, the Mellat Polling Center commenced its activities in November 2020. The institution was founded in line with Articles 1 and 2 of the statute establishing the Research Center of the Parliament, with the aim of integrating public opinion into the legislative process and enhancing oversight of its implementation. The Mellat Polling Center emphasizes scientific and technical rigor in the design and execution of its research activities and surveys, maintaining a non-partisan stance across all subjects of investigation.[5]
Directors of the Mellat Polling Center
[edit]| Name | Position | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mohsen Ebne-din Hamidi | Director | November 2020 | December 2022 |
| Vahid Kashafinia | Director | December 2022 | February 2023 |
| Saeed Ajorloo | Director | February 2023 | Present |
Organizational Structure
[edit]The Mellat Polling Center comprises two primary departments: Research and Survey, both operating under the supervision of the Center’s management and deputy director. Additionally, an administrative unit handles office-related responsibilities. The Research Department includes two subunits: the Statistics Unit and the Analysis Unit. These teams conduct statistical analyses and scientific evaluations of the raw data collected by the Survey Department, which gathers public opinion through telephone interviews.[5][6] All processes are overseen by a Scientific Council composed of subject-matter experts who provide guidance and ensure methodological integrity across the Center’s projects.[5]
Surveys Conducted
[edit]The Mellat Polling Center has conducted a wide range of public opinion surveys, including but not limited to the following topics:
- Citizens’ views regarding the reform of the subsidy system and the distribution of electronic coupons[9][10]
- Public perception of social harms and vulnerabilities in the country[11]
- National pension funds[12]
- A presidential election survey for Iran’s 14th Presidential Election, which yielded the most accurate prediction of the election results.[13]
Notable Surveys
[edit]Among the Center's most notable and accurate surveys is the one conducted during the second round of the 14th Presidential Election of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Dr. Babak Negahdari, referring to the final results of the runoff, stated that the last survey conducted by the Mellat Polling Center predicted that Masoud Pezeshkian would receive 53.7% of the votes and Saeed Jalili 44.2%, with 2.1% of the votes being blank or invalid. The official election results later confirmed that Mr. Pezeshkian received 16,384,403 votes (53.66%), Mr. Jalili received 13,538,179 votes (44.34%), and the number of invalid or blank votes was 607,575 (2%).[14][15]
Academic Events
[edit]The Mellat Polling Center has organized several academic meetings and expert roundtables on public opinion research. One such event was the scholarly session titled “Challenges of Telephone Surveys in Iran,” which emphasized the need for greater collaboration and dialogue among different polling institutions. Another notable event was the academic session on “The Application of Public Opinion Research in Policymaking.”[16]
Publications
[edit]The Mellat Polling Center has also contributed to the academic field through publishing. It has released a book titled “Developing Measurement Tools for Social Studies,” authored by Alireza KhoshgoyanFard. The book focuses on instrument construction in the context of public opinion and social research.[17]
Reference
[edit]- ^ "Conducting 60 surveys at the Mellat Polling Center". www.iribnews.ir (in Persian). Retrieved 2025-06-01.
- ^ shora-gc.ir, پایگاه اطلاع رسانی شورای نگهبان- (2023-12-17). "Which center provides advisory and research opinions to the members of the Guardian Council?" (in Persian). Retrieved 2025-06-01.
- ^ "About Parliament Research Center". rc.majlis.ir. Retrieved 2025-06-01.
- ^ "Who Prevents the Publication of Polling Centers' Results? – IRNA". www.irna.ir (in Persian). Retrieved 2025-06-01.
- ^ a b c "The statute on the duties and responsibilities of the Research Center of the Islamic Consultative Assembly". rc.majlis.ir (in Persian). Retrieved 2025-06-01.
- ^ "مرکز افکارسنجی ملت > درباره ما". mellat.mrc.ir. Retrieved 2025-06-01.
- ^ "Public opinion survey on dowry (mahr) and citizens' views regarding legal intervention in its regulation". rc.majlis.ir (in Persian). Retrieved 2025-06-01.
- ^ "Results of a Public Survey on Dowry | What Is the Appropriate Number of Coins for Dowry According to the People? – Hamshahri Online". www.hamshahrionline.ir (in Persian). Retrieved 2025-06-01.
- ^ "Public opinion survey on citizens' attitudes toward the subsidy reform plan and the distribution of electronic coupons". rc.majlis.ir (in Persian). Retrieved 2025-06-01.
- ^ "What Is the Reason for the Delay in Removing Cash Subsidies and Electronic Coupons?". فردای اقتصاد (in Persian). 2022-10-06. Retrieved 2025-06-01.
- ^ "Public opinion survey on public attitudes toward social harms in the country". rc.majlis.ir (in Persian). Retrieved 2025-06-01.
- ^ "Public opinion survey on people's attitudes toward the status of the country's pension funds". rc.majlis.ir (in Persian). Retrieved 2025-06-01.
- ^ "En: The opinion poll conducted by the Polling Center of the Parliament Research Center was the most accurate prediction of the presidential election". rc.majlis.ir (in Persian). Retrieved 2025-06-01.
- ^ "Doubts cast over Iran's voter turnout in presidential election runoff". beta.iranintl.com. 2024-07-07. Retrieved 2025-06-01.
- ^ "The Parliamentary Research Center's Prediction of Voter Turnout in the Election". مشرق نیوز (in Persian). 2024-06-02. Retrieved 2025-06-01.
- ^ "The necessity of increasing collaboration and joint efforts among various polling centers". rc.majlis.ir (in Persian). Retrieved 2025-06-01.
- ^ "Unveiling of the book "Developing Measurement Tools for Social Studies"". rc.majlis.ir (in Persian). Retrieved 2025-06-01.