AMMAN, Jordan — Jordanians went to the polls Wednesday in the first parliamentary election since protests targeting corruption and calling for greater political freedoms started to spread two years ago, shaking the rule of King Abdullah II.

The monarch, a close ally of the United States, is relying on the elections to quiet his critics and has promised that the contest could usher in the formation of strong political parties and allow the public a greater say in the selection of the government.