Inside the Islamic Republic establishment, there is an ongoing debate over voter turnout in general—and Iran’s upcoming presidential elections in particular. A number of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s appointees strongly believe that there is no need for a high turnout as it would lead to the defeat of the establishment’s favored candidate.

Other influential groups close to Khamenei believe that the Islamic Republic needs voters to cast ballots in large numbers in order to protect its legitimacy—and that Iranians should therefore be encouraged to cast ballots....