Polling stations across all provinces of Iran have commenced operations for the elections to the Council of Experts and the Majlis (unicameral parliament) at 08:00 local time (07:30 Moscow time).
According to Iran's Election Headquarters, voting will continue for 10 hours until 18:00 local time (17:30 Moscow time), with the possibility of extension if necessary, as stated by spokesman Mohsen Islami to the Mehr news agency. "Approximately 60 million Iranians are eligible to vote this year, requiring one of five specified ID documents to exercise their voting rights," Eslami emphasized. Iran's population exceeds 88 million people, according to the World Bank's 2022 data.
Elections for the Council of Experts occur every 8 years in Iran. This year, the Council of Guardians of the Constitution, a supra-parliamentary body comprising clerics, reviewed over 500 applications, permitting only 144 candidates who met the necessary criteria to participate. For the Majlis elections, 14,912 candidates were admitted, representing 73% of the total applicants, resulting in an average of 51 candidates competing for one parliamentary seat.
Approximately 190,000 servicemen and law enforcement representatives across Iran will be engaged in security operations during the elections, with helicopters from the Iranian Armed Forces facilitating the transportation of ballot boxes from remote regions. All national security services, including border security, will remain on high alert.
The Council of Experts in Iran is a governmental body comprising 88 authoritative theologians tasked with electing the country's leader and spiritual guide, as well as drafting constitutional amendments and deliberating on the leader's resignation in specified circumstances.
The Majlis comprises 290 deputies, with provisions in the constitution allowing for adjustments to the number of members every 10 years based on political, geographical, and other considerations, with a potential increase of 20 deputies. Five seats are allocated for religious minority groups, including Assyrian Christians, Chaldeans, Armenian Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians. Deputies serve four-year terms.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: official website of the Rais RT
Based on materials from TASS