TEHRAN, IRAN - Iran's snap presidential election has begun, with millions of citizens heading to polling stations across the country to cast their ballots. The election comes after the sudden death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash last month.
Four candidates are vying for the presidency, including Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Saeed Jalili, Masoud Pezeshkian, and Mostafa Pourmohammadi. Two conservative candidates withdrew from the race earlier this week to avoid splitting the vote.
Over 64 million people are eligible to vote, with the majority being young Iranians. Around 10 million expatriates living overseas will also be able to cast their ballots at designated polling stations in various countries.
Voting lines will remain open until 6 pm local time today, although it is expected that the process will be extended by the Interior Ministry, as has been the case in previous elections.
The results of the election are expected to be announced on Saturday afternoon. If no candidate secures more than 50% of the vote, a second round will be held on July 5 between the top two contenders.
Pre-election polls suggest a tight race between Qalibaf, Pezeshkian, and Jalili.
In a message on his Twitter account, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urged Iranians to participate in the election in large numbers. This time, top reformist leaders have called on people to vote, unlike in 2021 when they boycotted the election due to candidate disqualifications.
The turnout in the 2021 presidential election was a record low of around 49%. The previous lowest was in 1993, when Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani won with 50.6% of the vote.
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