Polls have opened nationwide in Iran’s 2021 presidential election. Over 59.3 million Iranians are eligible to vote for one of four candidates running.
Polls opened across the country at 07:00 am local time on Friday, June 18, and will run until 05:00 pm. Voting can be extended until 12:00 am on Saturday, and for two more hours then, if necessary.
Iran presidential election officially started at a voting station in Australia. There will be voting stations at various countries outside Iran including polls in various cities across the US.
— Negar Mortazavi (@NegarMortazavi) June 18, 2021
(Photo from Hemmati’s page) pic.twitter.com/v9HavsUVr6
Here are brief profiles of each of the four candidates.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei cast his ballot early on.
“Election Day is the day of the Iranian nation. Today, people are in charge,” Ayatollah Khamenei said after casting his vote. “Even one single vote counts. No one should say ‘what will my one vote do?’ These single votes become millions when combined.”
Senior Iranian officials, including the heads of the three branches of government, also cast their votes at polling states in the capital, Tehran.
‘World watching Iran’
Addressing the people after casting his vote, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Iran was among a few countries in the world whose elections attract international attention.
Iranian regime sham election, calling for Iran presidential election boycott.#راى_من_سرنگونى #تحریم_انتخابات pic.twitter.com/jdfVvkNKiz
— aamerahmed (@aamerah18117169) June 16, 2021
He said, “People should be mindful that the whole world is today focused on the ballot boxes and the people’s queues to cast their world. God willing, we will act in a way that it will make our friends across the world happy and frustrate enemies.”
Officials have stressed that health protocols will be strictly observed in all polling stations amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
This article has been adapted from its original source.
