Electoral engineering is a complex phenomenon influenced by various structural, political, economic, social, and individual factors, which affects the electoral process of federations. The main purpose of this research is to identify these factors and analyze their effects on the decision-making and performance of federations. This research is applied in terms of purpose and qualitative in nature, conducted using the thematic analysis approach of Braun and Clarke (2006). The research population included candidates and presidents of provincial sports boards and federations, director generals of sports and youth, and representatives of referees, coaches, and athletes in electoral assemblies who had the right to vote, selected using a purposive sampling method. Data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews, and the sampling process continued until theoretical saturation was reached, resulting in a total of 15 interviews. The data were analyzed based on Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-phase thematic analysis framework, and coding was done manually. The research findings led to the identification of 6 main themes and 22 sub-themes, encompassing various dimensions of electoral engineering, including resource engineering, media engineering, governmental and political engineering, qualification engineering, legal engineering, and structural engineering. This research emphasizes that electoral engineering in Iran’s sports federations, due to the complex interaction of these factors, requires fundamental reforms in laws, oversight, and transparency. Strengthening oversight, reducing political and economic influence, and implementing changes in electoral processes can lead to improved transparency, fairness, and efficiency in federation elections. Furthermore, this research provides suggestions for improving the electoral process and mitigating the negative effects of electoral engineering.