Dubai - State-linked opinion polling and analysts have put judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi as the dominant front-runner
Iran began voting Friday in a presidential election tipped in the favour of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Polls opened at 7 am local time for the vote.
State-linked opinion polling and analysts have put judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi as the dominant front-runner in a field of just four candidates. Former Central Bank chief, Abdolnasser Hemmati, is running as the race’s moderate candidate but hasn’t inspired the same support as Rouhani, who is term-limited from seeking the office again.
There are more than 59 million eligible voters among Iran’s more than 80 million people. However, the state-linked Iranian Student Polling Agency has estimated a turnout of just 42%, which would be the lowest ever since the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Khamenei cast the ceremonial first ballot in the election.
Iranians pictured in northern Tehran ahead of the presidential elections. Photo: AFP