Iran extends voting in presidential runoff
Shafaq News/ Iranian polling stations, which opened at 8:00 AM local time (04:30 GMT) on Friday, have extended voting hours until 8:00 PM (16:30 GMT) in the second round of presidential elections, state TV announced.
Preliminary results are expected to emerge late Friday, with final results on Saturday. The runoff follows a June 28 first round marked by low turnout, with over 60% of voters abstaining after the death of Ibrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash.
Critics see the diminished turnout as a rebuke of the Islamic Republic, especially since the country grapples with economic challenges and human rights violations.
The election pits a moderate Deputy against hardliner Saeed Jalili, a former nuclear negotiator.
The official results announced by Iranian authorities following the first round of the presidential election reveal that Masoud Pezeshkian garnered 10.4 million votes, while Saeed Jalili received 9.4 million. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf secured the third position with 3.3 million votes, while religious scholar Mostafa Pourmohammadi received over 206,000 votes.
Although the presidency may not drastically change Iran's policies, the new president will influence the selection of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's successor, the 85-year-old Supreme Leader.
Ayatollah Khamenei, after voting, expressed optimism about higher turnout compared to the first round.
Addressing the media, he stated that it is wrong to assume non-voters are against the Islamic ruling system.
Participation was 48% in the 2021 elections that brought Raisi to power, dropping to 41% in parliamentary elections this year.
The elections come amid heightened tensions involving Iran's allies Hamas and Hezbollah and increasing Western pressure over Tehran's nuclear program.
Brig. Gen. Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Revolutionary Guards' Air Force, defended the election, urging people to vote as "every vote is like launching a missile" against adversaries.
Voter sentiments reflect a nuanced response to the candidates' platforms. Afaren (37), from Isfahan, said she voted for Pezeshkian despite "doubts about his strength as a president," preferring him over a hardliner.
Sapid (19), a student in Tehran, chose not to vote, citing the desire for a free country and remembering the violent crackdown on protests after Mahsa Amini died in 2022.
Mahmoud Hamid Zadegan (64), a retired resident of Sari, northern Iran, supports Jalili for his "commitment to Islamic values and promises to end economic crises."
