Iran Presidential: A razor-thin margin of Votes between Pezeshkian and Jalili
Counting in Iranian presidential election is revealing a razor-thin margin of 200,000 votes between Saeed Jalili, polling at 42 percent, and Masoud Pezeshkian, closely trailing with 41 percent.
As over 8 million ballots have been counted on Saturday, speculation mounts over the potential need for a two-stage election to determine the final outcome.
Earlier unofficial preliminary figures from Iran’s election showed Pezeshkian, the pro-reform candidate, leading with 42.6 percent of the votes, while his opponent, Jalili, followed closely with 38.8 percent of the ballot.
These results suggest a potentially tight race, setting the stage for a runoff slated for July 5 should these figures hold steady.
The initial results came after the 14th presidential elections in Iran concluded after an 18-hour voting process.
Four candidates — Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Jalili, Pezeshkian and Mostafa Pourmohammadi — are vying for the presidency of the Islamic Republic of Iran following the death of president Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash last month.
An estimated 64 million voters in Iran were eligible to vote in the election, the majority of whom are young. In the 2021 presidential election, 59.3 million were eligible to vote.
A total of 58,640 polling stations were set up across the country to facilitate the voting process, more than 6,000 of which were in Tehran.
Outside the country, the Foreign Ministry designated 344 overseas polling stations for Iranians to exercise their franchise, except in Canada, which did not allow it.
The final results are expected to be announced on Saturday afternoon, according to officials, but vote counting started immediately after polls closed.
The outcome of this pivotal election is eagerly awaited as it could significantly shape Iran’s political landscape moving forward.
