Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei went to the polls early on May 19 to cast his vote for the new Iranian president. Khamenei has consistently expressed support for hardline cleric Ebrahim Raisi since he announced his candidacy in April.
In an official statement to the press, Khamenei said, “You see Iranians are participating and my advice is that more and more people participate and come to the polls at the earliest time possible …The destiny of the county is in the hands of the people who choose the chief executive. They should heed the importance of this task.”
To win the election a candidate must receive over 50 percent of the vote, otherwise a runoff will be held next week. More than 54 million Iranians are eligible to vote, according to BBC.
