Turnout increases in Iran's presidential election runoff UPDATED

Turnout in Iran's presidential runoff election has surged compared to last week's elections.

Mohsen Eslami, spokesperson for Iran's Election Headquarters, announced the rising tendency, Caliber.Az reports citing Iranian media.

Eslami mentioned that voter participation by Friday noon had notably risen, with polling stations open until 6:00 p.m.

The Interior Ministry could extend voting hours if needed, he added, noting voting is taking place across approximately 59,000 polling stations nationwide.

12:06

The second round of the Iranian presidential election began early morning on July 5, with candidates Saeed Jalili representing the conservative movement and Masoud Pezeshkian from the reformist movement.

Iranian Supreme Leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei cast his vote at a polling station in Tehran as voting commenced, Caliber.Az reports citing the foreign media.

Sayyed Khamenei underscored the significance of Iranian citizens expressing their "will and determination" to complete the electoral process and choose a new president for the republic.

He noted an increased enthusiasm and interest among the people compared to previous elections, expressing hope that this trend would continue. 

The first round of the presidential elections in Iran took place on June 28 with four candidates: Saeed Jalili, Masoud Pezeshkian, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Mostafa Pourmohammadi competing.

About 24 million voters, constituting 40 per cent of eligible voters, participated in the elections. However, none of the candidates secured an absolute majority, leading to a second round between the top two candidates: Pezeshkian, who received 10,415,991 votes, and Jalili, who received 9,473,298 votes.

09:37

Voting in the second round of Iran's extraordinary presidential election has commenced.

Polling stations across the country opened at 08:00 local time, as per Caliber.Az.

The election results are expected to be announced on the morning of July 6 after all votes are counted.

Reformist Masoud Pezeshkian, a 69-year-old former health minister, and conservative Saeed Jalili, a 58-year-old representative of Iran's leader in the Supreme National Security Council, are vying for the presidency.

In the first round held on June 28, Pezeshkian and Jalili received 44 per cent and 40 per cent of the vote respectively, falling short of the more than 50 per cent required to win. The turnout was 40 per cent, the lowest in the 45-year history of the Islamic Republic, with at least 4 per cent of ballots deemed invalid.

Both candidates advocate for economic growth, social progress, and sustainable development. Pezeshkian, who hails from West Azerbaijan province, supports foreign investment, dialogue with the West, and the restoration of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, the nuclear deal). He also promises to expand the rights of women and ethnic minorities and has criticized the authorities' stance on mandatory hijab.

Jalili, on the other hand, promotes reliance on domestic potential to combat Western sanctions, strengthening the armed forces, and continuing the foreign policy of the late President Ebrahim Raisi, who died in a plane crash on May 19.