Long Queues Formed at Polling Stations in Iran, Security Prevails: Official
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A deputy interior minister said many polling stations across Iran have been packed with an early-morning crowd of voters after the Parliament and the Assembly of Experts elections kicked off on Friday, saying full security and order prevail all over the nation.
Iranian Interior Ministry's Deputy for Security Affairs Majid Mirahmadi said on Friday morning that long queues of voters have been formed at many polling stations across the country, describing it as a major epic.
He noted that full security prevails at all polling stations thanks to the efforts by the security and intelligence organizations.
Mirahmadi added that over 250,000 forces have been tasked with ensuring the security of elections and guarding the polling places.
Around 61 million Iranian people are eligible to vote, including 3.5 million first-time voters.
The elections are held in around 60,000 polling stations across Iran.
Having gone through a formal qualification process by Iran’s Constitutional Council, over 12,000 candidates, including dozens of Iranians from the religious minorities, are running for the parliament.
A total of 144 clergymen have also been chosen as the final candidates for the Assembly of Experts elections.
There are 290 seats in the Iranian Parliament, known as Majlis, elected by direct vote of people in nationwide elections for four years.
The Assembly of Experts is a high-ranking body that elects and oversees the activities of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution.
