Mehr-Alizadeh Heckled at Polling Station

Mohsen Mehr-Alizadeh, the Reformist candidate who resigned on Wednesday, arrived at the Jamaran Hosseiniyeh (where Ayatollah Khomeini once lived and taught) in the northern part of Tehran to vote at 11:30am. His visit was marred by heckling at the polling station, with several people reportedly shouting “marg bar zed-e velayat-e faqih [death to the opponents of the Guardianship of Jurists]” at the candidate. The Guardianship of the Jurists is the official system of government in Iran where clerics have juridical and political oversight over government, and the chant is popular among devoted supporters of the Supreme Leader. The chant indicates the hostility of hard-line conservatives who see Reformists as subversive.

Read more at Fararu

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Election Blackout Begins

A ban on campaigning for the Presidential election, alongside the local council and Assembly of Experts elections, began at 7am on Thursday. A spokesman for the national broadcaster, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), explained that, “campaigning for this election is prohibited 24 hours before the ballots open… from today until the end of the elections, the candidates and their supporters do not have the right to campaign and if any cases are observed, they will be dealt with according to the law”.

Read more at IRIB

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Kadkhodaei on Larijani and Ahmadinejad Disqualifications

In response to a question on the disqualification of Ali Larijani and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Abbas-Ali Kadkhodaei, spokesman of the Guardian Council, said “I do not know the reason for their rejection.  We are not obliged to give reasons, but in last week three or four asked and the reasons were provided to them”. Kadkhodaei added that he hoped any issues regarding procedure of vetting candidates would be resolved through legislation by the Majles after the election, ignoring the fact that the Guardian Council changed the vetting criteria before the election against the wishes of the Majles. 

Read more at Fararu

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COVID Safe Protocols for the Election

Due to the ongoing COVID situation and danger of another wave, the Ministry of Health outlined its protocols for the election. Where possible, voting will be held in open spaces, and social distancing of 1.5 to 2 metres will be enforced. The wearing of masks at polling stations is mandatory and hand sanitiser will be provided. The entrance and exit of polling stations must be separate, and during voting and the counting of votes, proper ventilation must be provided. 

Read more at ISNA

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Election Held in 134 Countries

Spokesperson from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Saeed Khatibzadeh, announced that the Iranian presidential election will be held in 133 countries (other than Iran) with 234 ballot boxes on 5 continents. Khatibzadeh added that voting is not possible in three countries: Canada (which refused to accommodate the election), Yemen (because of war) and Singapore (because of COVID).

Read more at IRNA

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Mehr-Alizadeh Resigns

Reformist candidate Mohsen Mehr-Alizadeh has sent a letter to the Ministry of Interior announcing that he is withdrawing from the election. Although he did not mention any other candidates in his resignation letter, Abdol-Naser Hemmati thanked Mehr-Alizadeh for his resignation as did former President Mohammad Khatami, who then encouraged Reformists to vote for Hemmati.

Read more at IRNA

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Zakani Resigns in Favour of Raisi

Ali-Reza Zakani withdrew from the election after attending the Ali Akbar Shrine in the northern Tehran suburb of Chizar. Zakani said of Raisi “I myself will vote for him and I hope that with his election, fundamental reforms will be made in the country”. The Ministry of Interior later requested that Zakani submit a formal resignation, as otherwise his withdrawal is not considered legal. Candidates must resign in writing to the Ministry of Interior before 7am on Thursday to be removed from the ballot.

Read more at Eghtesad

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Jalili Resigns in Favour of Raisi

Saeed Jalili withdrew his candidacy in a statement. Jalili said “now that a large part of society has shown their support for our dear brother Hojjatoleslam Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, it is appropriate for all the believers of the Revolutionary Front to vote for him”. Jalili encouraged his fellow conservative candidates to also resign in Raisi’s favour and encouraged his supporters to vote for Raisi. 

Read more at Farda

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Confusion over Ghazizadeh Resignation

FarsNews reported that Amir-Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi became the fourth candidate to withdraw from the election. However, almost immediately representatives from Ghazizadeh’s campaign headquarters denied these reports and lodged a formal complaint with the Ministry of Interior against the media sources who first reported the news.

Read more at ISNA


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Leader Encourages Iranians to Vote

In an address to the nation, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said that by voting, Iranians ensure the safety of the republican system. Khamenei said that if the turnout is low, it will allow the enemy to coerce Iran with the intention of making the country a hotbed for terrorism. Khamenei said that Iranians should not take advantage of their democracy and look to Saudi Arabia, where citizens “don’t know a ballot box from a fruit box”. 

Watch the speech at Khamenei.ir

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