Massive Influx of Voters After Polls Open in Iran

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Polls in the Islamic Iranian Republic opened at 7 AM Friday local time in the 13th presidential election for more than 59 million Iranian citizens to choose their next president.

The 6th Islamic municipal, village, and by-elections for the assembly of experts are taking place today, too.

حول الأجواء الانتخابية في مدينة #مشهد مع مراسلة #الميادين بيسان طراف.#الانتخابات_الرئاسية_الإيرانية#إيران_للشعب_بصمة#انتخابات#انتخابات_۱۴۰۰ pic.twitter.com/hoOsxuswsV

— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) June 18, 2021

Iranian Supreme Leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei made a press statement after casting his vote in the 13th Iranian presidential election this morning, saying that the Iranian people "will see good" from these elections.

Sayyed Khamenei cast his ballot this morning in the electoral center of Imam Khomeini's Husseiniya in Tehran in the first minutes after the polls for the Iranian presidential elections opened.

Four candidates are running for president in this round of elections: Chief Justice of Iran Ebrahim Raisi, the secretary of the Expediency Discernment Council Mohsen Rezaee, Deputy Chairman of the Shura Council Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi, Former Governor of the Central Bank of Iran Abdolnaser Hemmati.

Al Mayadeen correspondent reported that presidential candidate Ebrahim Raisi cast his ballot in the Irshad mosque in the city of Ray, while the candidate Ghazizadeh Hashemi cast his ballot in the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad.

🔴هم‌اکنون- سید ابراهیم رئیسی برای شرکت در انتخابات وارد مسجد جامع ارشاد شهر ری شد#انتخابات_۱۴۰۰ #من_رای_میدهم #مردم_میدان pic.twitter.com/lVLSbf8Ew9

— لحظه شمار انتخابات ۱۴۰۰ (@entekhbaat1400) June 18, 2021

🔴حضور امیرحسین قاضی‌زاده هاشمی ( کاندیدای ریاست جمهوری ) در حرم امام رضا(ع) برای شرکت شرکت در انتخابات#انتخابات_۱۴۰۰ #من_رای_میدهم #مردم_میدان pic.twitter.com/2lXJbLI2MJ

— لحظه شمار انتخابات ۱۴۰۰ (@entekhbaat1400) June 18, 2021

The Former Speaker of the Parliament of Iran, Ali Larijani, who attempted to run for President voted, too.

The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs account posted a tweet showing Minister Zarif voting in one of the polling divisions supervised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs outside the country while he is in Antalya.

حضور دکتر محمد جواد ظریف وزیر امور خارجه کشورمان در شعبه اخذ رأی آنتالیا برای انداختن رای در صندوق#انتخابات_۱۴۰۰#انتخابات۱۴۰۰ pic.twitter.com/U4NkzVZrGe

— 🇮🇷 وزارت امور خارجه (@IRIMFA) June 18, 2021

Al Mayadeen correspondent said that the people of Kerman cast their ballots near the tomb of the martyr Lieutenant-General Qassem Soleimani. His daughter Narjes, who is also a candidate for the city of Tehran (for the Municipal Shura), partook in the election.

🔴دختر شهید سلیمانی به حرم عبدالعظیم حسنی رفت

🔸نرجس سلیمانی (دختر شهید سلیمانی و کاندیدای شورای شهر تهران) در ساعات ابتدایی انتخابات، با حضور در حرم عبدالعظیم حسنی، رأی خود را به صندوق انداخت!#انتخابات_۱۴۰۰ #رای_میدهم #مردم_میدان pic.twitter.com/9NfkCvMSWF

— لحظه شمار انتخابات ۱۴۰۰ (@entekhbaat1400) June 18, 2021

The President is elected by an absolute majority of votes, and if that this is not achieved, the elections are held a second time on Friday of the following week, with the participation of the two leading candidates. The Presidential term in Iran lasts for 4 years, and the Iranian president can only run for two terms.

A spokesman for the Electoral Commission in Iran said that the authorities expect to announce the results of the presidential elections before Saturday noon, adding that a new method will be adopted this session, which is that "the results of each electoral center will be sent simultaneously to the Ministry of Interior and the Guardian Council, which will contribute to accelerating the collection of votes and the announcement of the result."

Iran entered Thursday midnight election silence.