Iran has begun to vote on Friday, June 28, to elect its new president after the unexpected death of former President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash.
According to Al Jazeera, the polls opened at 8 a.m. (04:30 GMT) and will close at 6 p.m. (14:30 GMT). However, voting can be extended for multiples of two hours until midnight.
Four candidates, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Saeed Jalili, Masoud Pezeshkian, and Mostafa Pourmohammadi, are competing for the position of president.
Moreover, as per the Interior Ministry on Friday morning, 61,452,321 people are eligible to vote inside and outside the country.
Analysts believe that the turnout of voters in the election is record low.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, supreme leader of Iran since 1989, told state television after casting his vote, “The durability, strength, dignity, and reputation of the Islamic republic depend on the presence of people. High turnout is a definite necessity.”
Additionally, if any of the candidates failed to gain a clear majority after Friday’s polls, then the second round of voting between the top two candidates will take place on July 5.
