Do political participation and support for democratic values go hand in hand under electoral authoritarian systems? Much of the literature assessing mass support for democratic values tends to focus primarily on democratic countries. Even studies examining public support for democratic values in non-democratic countries do not explore how these values affect the propensity of individuals to participate in the electoral arena. Based on statistical analysis of survey data recently released by the Arab Democracy Barometer Project, this paper examines the relationship between political participation and support for democratic values in seven Arab countries. By applying factor analysis to the data, the paper identifies dimensions of: (1) support for a democratic political system; (2) support for human rights; (3) support for gender equality; and (4) tolerance towards minorities. Using regression analysis, the paper analyzes the impact of these factors on the probability of political participation at the individual level, including voting. The findings show that weaker commitments to democratic values are associated with a higher probability of political participation. Not only do the findings enhance our understanding of political participation under Arab authoritarian systems, they also contribute to the debate on whether controlled systems of electoral contestation could provide a credible means for democratizing hybrid authoritarian regimes. Specifically, the findings attenuate the argument that state-controlled electoral arenas can be a positive force for democratic change.