Polls open in Iran election, Khamenei calls for high turnout

Polls opened in Iran at 7am local time on Friday morning, ushering in the country’s 13th election.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called for a high turnout in the country’s presidential election, in a contest likely to be won by a judge fiercely loyal to the religious establishment.

“Each vote counts … come and vote and choose your president … this is important for the future of your country,” said Khamenei after casting his vote in the capital Tehran.

The election cycle was largely dominated by voter apathy and issues regarding the ongoing nuclear talks and Iran’s struggling economy both issues being seen as failures of the Rouhani administration.

During debates leading up to the election, the candidates used much of their time to blame President Hassan Rouhani for government failures over the last eight years.

This year, the combination of a list of nearly all hard line and conservative candidates along with deep seated voter apathy is likely to hand a win to Ebrahim Raisi.