Iran elections: Polls open in parliamentary vote

Election will see candidates compete for a seat in the 290-member parliament. New members of Iran’s Assembly of Experts will also be elected.

Around 15,000 candidates are vying for a seat in the 290-member parliament

Polling stations opened in Iran on Friday in the first parliamentary elections since mass protests swept the Islamic Republic in 2022, triggered by the death of Jina Mahsa Amini while in custody.

“Voting for the 12th term of the Islamic Consultative Assembly and the 6th term of the Assembly of Leadership Experts began following an order by the interior ministry,” state TV reported, using the official name of the Iranian parliament.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was among the first to cast a ballot in a vote that will decide which of the around 15,000 candidates will gain seats in the 290-member parliament.

Voter turnout was expected to be low, with data from the state-owned polling center ISPA predicting a turnout of 23.5% in the capital, Tehran, and 38.5% nationally based on a survey of 5,121 voting-age people.

The election is unlikely to cause any major upsets with the conservative hardliners holding a tight grip on the electoral process.

More to follow…

kb/ab (AP, AFP)