Iran Election Runoff: Pezeshkian vs Jalili

The June 28 presidential election marked the lowest voter turnout in the history of the Islamic Republic, with only 40 percent participation. This breaks the previous record set during the last election, in which the late President Ebrahim Raisi won with 48 percent turnout.

Activists and officials have highlighted that the low turnout is a clear sign of the public's discontent with the ruling autocracy, demonstrated through the widespread boycott of the election.

Mostafa Pourmohammadi, who scored the lowest number of votes in the election, said on X: "Greetings to all of you who came to vote on June 29, and respect to all of you who did not believe us and did not come. Your presence and absence are full of messages that I hope will be heard. Your message is clear and unambiguous.”

Iran's ICT Minister Issa Zarepour has said that the June 28 presidential election was targeted by 20 "sabotage attempts," leading to 9 outages that were “resolved.”

"Throughout the elections, we faced numerous cyberattacks, all of which were repelled," he said on Saturday.

This comes as Iran's presidential election was held only with paper ballots, and no electronic voting machine was used, according to the Election Headquarters. However, the identity verification process was carried out electronically, according to Iranian authorities.

With voter turnout officially announced at 40 percent, a video of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei from 2001 has become viral in which he describes a 40-percent turnout as a "disgrace."

Social media users are extensively sharing the video of a Khamenei’s sermon in 2001 when he mocked Western countries for low turnout in their elections. He said in his sermon that a turnout of 40 percent was a cause of shame and indicated that the citizens of these countries, including the United States, did not trust their political system.

"It shows people do not trust, care, or hope for their political system," he said.

Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi hailed the 40-percent voter turnout without mentioning that more than 60% of eligible voters did not participate in the election. The turnout marks the lowest in the history of Iran's presidential elections.

"The Iranian people had a valuable presence in the elections,” he said, adding that "Our main gratitude goes to the people of our country; a great task was accomplished, and this is the realization of religious democracy."

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who is out from the race to replace Raisi after receiving approximately 3,383,000 votes, has announced his support for hardliner Saeed Jalili for the second round of voting.

In a statement, Ghalibaf expressed concerns about some of the individuals associated with Pezeshkian. He did not mention any names, but during debates, he repeatedly stated that Pezeshkian’s prospective administration is a continuation of former President Hassan Rouhani's government. Ghalibaf labeled Pezeshkian as a representative of the group responsible for a significant portion of Iran's current economic and political problems.

He urged his supporters to work towards making Jalili, the candidate of the "Revolutionary Front," the next president.

The presidential election, with a turnout rate of about 40 percent, has gone to a second round between Pezeshkian and Jalili.

A comparison of the total votes for the four candidates with the counted ballots shows that the number of invalid votes in the first round of Iran's 14th presidential election is 1,056,159.

At about five percent, the number of invalid votes is low compared to the previous round of presidential election, when late President Ebrahim Raisi came first. In June 2021, out of 28,989,529 votes, 13 percent were invalid, and Raisi won with about 62 percent of the total votes.

Votes from 58,640 polling stations across 482 cities have been counted, with a total of 24,535,185 ballots cast. The results are as follows:

• Masoud Pezeshkian: 10,415,991 votes
• Saeed Jalili: 9,473,298 votes
• Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf: 3,383,340 votes
• Mostafa Pourmohammadi: 206,397 votes

As none of the candidates secured a majority, the election will proceed to a second round. According to the law, the runoff election will be held nationwide on Friday, July 5.

With 19,069,713 ballots counted so far, Masoud Pezeshkian is still leading with 8,302,577 votes. He is followed by Saeed Jalili with 7,189,756 votes, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf with 2,676,512 votes, and Mostafa Pourmohammadi with 158,314 votes.

Out of a total of 58,640 polling stations, the votes from 47,604 stations have been counted so far.

Out of 14,070,462 ballots counted so far, pro-reform candidate Masoud Pezeshkian is leading with 5,955,781 votes.

He is followed by Saeed Jalili with 5,560,321 votes, Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf with 1,891,385 votes, and Mostafa Pourmohammadi with 111,967 votes, according to official figures released by the Interior Ministry.

Additionally, there have been 549,008 invalid votes.

The total number of polling stations is 58,640, with 32,244 stations counted so far, and 375 counties have been tallied.

Out of 2,372,866 ballots counted so far, pro-reform candidate Pezeshkian is leading with 973,052 votes, followed by Saeed Jalili (963,615), Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf (341,056), and Mostafa Pourmohammadi (15,625), according to the first official figures from the Interior Ministry.

Pro-reform candidate Masoud Pezeshkian has 42.6 percent of the votes, according to unofficial figures, while his hardline contender Saeed Jalili has 38.8 percent of the ballots.

If these figures remain unchanged, a runoff election on July 5 will decide the country's next president, as the winner must secure at least fifty percent of the votes.

Almost 40 percent of eligible voters, around 24 million people, have cast their ballots in Iran's snap presidential election, according to unofficial figures.

61,452,321 people were eligible to vote inside and outside the country, the Interior Ministry had announced earlier.

Two ballot security officers were killed and five others injured after unknown assailants opened fire on a car carrying ballot boxes in Jakigur area of Rask County in Iran's restive Sistan and Baluchestan province, state-run Young Journalists' Club (YJC) and Tasnim News reported.

Reports indicate "widespread internet disruptions" in Iran in the late hours of Friday, with network experts reporting a "severe disruption in the Cloudflare network" originating from Iran.

Cloudflare radar images show that the total network traffic volume significantly dropped during certain hours on Friday, coinciding with the end of voting and the start of ballot counting in the country's presidential election.

Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi on Friday praised Iranians both inside and outside the country for rejecting what he termed the "Election Circus" of the Islamic Republic.

"The evidence from empty polling stations across the country demonstrates the Iranian nation's decisive rejection of the regime's Election Circus," he noted.

"This widespread boycott, which even supporters and affiliates of the Islamic Republic have admitted to, demonstrates your resolute determination to move beyond this illegitimate and anti-Iranian regime," the Iranian prince added.

The election headquarters spokesman Mohsen Eslami announced the closure of polls at midnight, saying those still waiting at polling stations will be allowed to cast their ballots.

"Counting of the votes begins in those constituencies where there are no more voters at polling stations," he stated.

"The widespread boycott and lack of participation in the Islamic Republic's farcical and fraudulent elections... sends a clear message to both the rulers and the world: the Islamic Republic does not represent Iran and its people," said Iranian activist and ex-political prisoner Hossein Ronaghi.

"This non-participation in the election charade is a resounding "no" to the entirety of the "Islamic Republic" government, which has occupied Iran for decades and kept its people in captivity," he added.

Iran's Interior Ministry says that, according to the country's Constitution, voting cannot be extended beyond midnight, and this is the final deadline for voters to cast their ballots.

However, the voting period was extended until 2:00 AM in the 2021 presidential elections.

The Interior Ministry's decision has reportedly outraged the 'pro-reform' Masoud Pezeshkian's campaign, which believes further extension of voting will add to his votes.

Sixty-seven women political prisoners imprisoned in the women's ward of Evin prison refused to vote and boycotted the elections.

According to information received by Iran International, prison officials are still trying to pressure a number of female political prisoners to participate in the elections.

All political prisoners held in Qezel Hesar Prison in Karaj have also boycotted the election and refused to vote.

Iran’s Interior Ministry has extended voting for another two hours, until 10 pm (local time), to allow late-comers to cast ballots in the snap presidential election.

The time will probably be extended again.

A covert arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) has been rigging elections and manipulating Iran's political landscape through a clandestine network of cultural and political operations, according to a new analysis by United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI).

Known as the Baqiatallah Headquarters, this apparatus works closely with the Intelligence Ministry to strategically influence the current snap election to replace former President Ebrahim Raisi, the NGO reports.

Titled “Engineering Minds and Votes,” the 34-page report is based on original material from inside the IRGC's Baqiatallah Headquarters, including lectures, textbooks, written presentations, and speeches.

Read More...

The Interior Ministry has extended voting by at least two hours, until 8:00 PM local time (17:30 GMT).

The time will probably be extended again. The polls in the 2021 presidential elections closed at 2 AM the next day in big cities.

People, political activists, and former officials are reporting a low voter turnout in the election.

Pro-participation and pro-boycott Iranians are using a host of arguments to convince each other to vote or not vote in the June 28 snap presidential elections.

Dozens of people are sharing videos online with messages saying "No Vote."

A citizen called the Islamic Republic a "Republic of Executions" and said they would not participate in the elections in memory of all those who lost their lives for the "Women, Life, Freedom" movement. In another video sent to Iran International, a woman is heard saying, "I will not vote for this regime of thieves, plunderers, murderers, and enemies of women."

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However, Siamak Rahpeyk, the Guardian Council's deputy head in charge of executive and election affairs, said, “according to statistics, the number of people who have participated in the election since this morning is good, and we hope that people will continue to participate with enthusiasm and motivation until the end of the voting hours.”

Human rights groups report that prisoners in Saqqez in western Iran, are being compelled to participate in Friday's presidential election under threat of penalties.

According to the Kurdish human rights organization Kordpa, which shared images of the messages sent to prisoners, they are asked to vote on Friday. The message tells prisoners that their families should also vote.

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Videos circulating on social media show groups of Iranian expatriates in Australia and New Zealand holding a protest rally outside Tehran’s embassies in Canberra, Sydney, Wellington.

Similar rallies are being held outside Iran's consulates in Hamburg and London.

Some of Iranian presidential candidates and senior officials have cast their votes in the election.

As voting began, Rouydad-24 news website in Tehran published a lead article saying that the current situation reflects a lack of enthusiasm among women to participate in the elections, particularly among the middle class and the undecided voters.

Nafiseh Azad, a sociologist and women's rights activist, says: "Women have historically supported those candidates who they believed could bring about change. However, the candidates have not been committed to their promises and have always sidelined women's issues in political debates. Therefore, it is not surprising that women feel more disillusioned with the electoral process."

Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, cast his vote in the first minutes of voting, telling reporters, "Election day is a day of excitement and joy for us Iranians."

Disregarding all protests about political repression, the poor economic situation, and the lack of free and competitive elections, he urged people to turn out to vote, saying, "The durability, strength, honor, and reputation of the Islamic Republic in the world depend on the turnout by people. To prove the truth and sincerity of the Islamic Republic, the presence of the people is necessary and obligatory."

The election is being held amid widespread calls for boycott by numerous student, labor, and civil organizations, political and civil activists, political prisoners, families of protesters killed during Tehran’s crackdown on dissent, with many of them describing it as a"sham election."

Amid growing calls for boycott by dissidents and activists, Iranians began voting for a new president on Friday, Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi told state TV, following Ebrahim Raisi's death in a helicopter crash, choosing from a tightly controlled group of four candidates loyal to the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

The hashtag #ElectionCircus has been widely posted on social media platform X by Iranians in the past few weeks.

The main argument of those determined not to vote is that it gives credibility to an election they believe is neither fair nor free. They fear a high turnout will be used to legitimize the political establishment controlled by Khamenei. On the other hand, proponents of voting argue that low turnout won't hasten the downfall of the ruling establishment or lead to its international isolation as boycotters hope.

Critics of Iran's clerical rule say the low and declining turnout of recent elections shows the system's legitimacy has eroded. Just 48% of voters participated in the 2021 election that brought Raisi to power, and turnout hit a record low of 41% in a parliamentary election three months ago.

Polls open at 8:00 am local time (0430 GMT) and close at 6:00 pm (1430 pm GMT), but are usually extended until as late as midnight. As ballots are counted manually, the final result is expected to be announced only in two days although initial figures may come out sooner.

If no candidate wins at least 50 percent plus one vote from all ballots cast including blank votes, a run-off round between the top two candidates is held on the first Friday after the election result is declared.

The next president is not expected to produce any major policy shift on Iran's nuclear program or support for militia groups across the Middle East because such policies are set by Khamenei. The president runs the government day-to-day and may influence the tone of Iran's foreign and domestic policy.

However, the outcome could influence the succession Iran's 85-year-old Supreme Leader, in power for three-and-a-half decades.

Khamenei has called for a "maximum" turnout to offset a legitimacy crisis fueled by public discontent over economic hardship and curbs on political and social freedoms.

Voter turnout has plunged over the past four years, with a mostly young population chafing at political and social restrictions.

Three of the candidates are hardliners and one a low-profile comparative moderate, backed by the reformist faction that has largely been sidelined in Iran in recent years.

Prominent among the remaining hardliners are Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, parliament speaker and former commander of the Revolutionary Guards, and Saeed Jalili, a former nuclear negotiator who served for four years in Khamenei's office.The comparative moderate, Massoud Pezeshkian, is faithful to the country's theocratic rule but advocates detente with the West, economic reform, social liberalization and political pluralism.