Iran Conducts Election to Select a President

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Voter turnout in Iran’s presidential election was estimated at only one in four eligible voters, a blow to ruling clerics who aimed for a 50% participation rate. Many Iranians, tired of empty promises and restrictions on personal freedoms, boycotted the election as a way to reject the government. Polling stations in Tehran were deserted, while others in government strongholds saw lines forming. The election results may force a runoff, with no candidate reaching 50%. The two leading conservatives, Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf and Saeed Jalili, split the conservative vote, leaving reformist Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian with a slight lead. Mostafa Pourmohammadi, another candidate, had little support in the polls. Despite calls from the supreme leader to vote, many Iranians see the process as rigged and the candidates as lacking the ability to bring real change. Economic hardship, government corruption, and foreign policy challenges were key concerns for voters. Dr. Pezeshkian, a reformist candidate of Azeri Turk descent, garnered support in ethnic minority regions. While the election outcome remains uncertain, the low turnout indicates a high level of dissatisfaction among the Iranian population.

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