By Alireza Akbari
As the Iranian nation braces for Friday’s snap presidential election, elaborate arrangements have been put in place both within the country and abroad to facilitate easy, hassle-free and secure polling.
On Monday, the spokesperson for Iran’s election headquarters Mohsen Eslami said all essential logistics have been arranged, expressing readiness to hold voting at 344 designated polling stations globally.
The snap presidential election is being held in the wake of the martyrdom of President Ebrahim Raeisi in the May 19 helicopter crash in northwestern Iran.
According to the Constitutional provisions of the Islamic Republic of Iran, a new presidential election is mandated to be held within 50 days following the passing of a sitting president.
More than 80 candidates submitted their nominations to the interior ministry, which was followed by a rigorous vetting process by the Constitutional Council, the 12-member top election supervisory body.
Six candidates were approved to run for the country’s presidency who have over the past two weeks been busy campaigning through state TV and in field events to win voters’ favor.
As the capital Tehran and other cities across the country gear up for the Friday snap vote, preparations have been made outside the country as well, at Iranian embassies and consulates in different countries.
Unofficial estimates indicate that the Iranian population overseas may exceed 10 million, many of whom are eligible to vote on Friday, alongside around 65 million eligible voters inside the country.
According to data from the Secretariat of the Supreme Council of Iranians Abroad, the count of Iranians living abroad is as follows: 30 percent in the US, 12 percent in Turkey and Canada each, approximately 10 percent in the UK and the UAE respectively, with 6.5 percent in Germany.
Smaller proportions of 2.4 percent of Iranians live in Sweden and Australia each, while France is home to 2 percent of the Iranian expatriate community.
All arrangements in place
Mohsen Eslami, the spokesperson for Iran’s election headquarters, in his remarks on Friday said the voting process will kick off at 8 a.m. Iran time simultaneously “within the country and abroad.”
He stressed that only individuals possessing “a valid passport” will be able to access 344 polling stations scattered across different countries to exercise their voting rights.
He hastened to add that in the event of no candidate winning the majority in the first round, the run-off election will take place on July 5.
During a press briefing on Sunday, Alireza Mahmoudi, the director general of consular affairs at the Iranian foreign ministry, who has been recently appointed to oversee voting for Iranians living abroad, also said all arrangements have been made at 344 designated polling stations.
Mahmoudi noted the deployment of 23 ballot boxes in Iraq, along with plans for mobile ballot setups.
Ensuring voting access for Iranians in Italy, he mentioned successful negotiations with Italian authorities to facilitate the Iranian nationals’ participation in Friday’s election.
Mahmoudi assured the availability of ballot boxes in Iranian embassies and consulates worldwide, citing 10 ballot boxes in England and over 30 in the US as part of the comprehensive election infrastructure established to accommodate global Iranian participation.
During his press conference on Thursday morning, Mahmoudi mentioned that despite efforts made by the foreign ministry, Canadian officials did not agree to have voting ballots in Canada.
But with the coordination of the Office for the Protection of Iran’s Interests in Washington and the “follow-up by colleagues in New York,” polling stations will be set up in the border region of the US and Canada to allow Iranians in Canada to exercise their voting rights.
He added that these polling stations will be located within US territory, and efforts will be made to maximize participation so that those who wish to vote can cast their ballots in these polling stations.
Diplomatic efforts to facilitate vote
At a recent press briefing, Nasser Kanaani, the spokesperson for the foreign ministry, affirmed that communication channels have been open with the representations of the Islamic Republic, ensuring the timely dispatch of essential equipment to facilitate their operational needs for the June 28 election.
Highlighting the “efforts” of the country’s diplomatic apparatus, Kanaani underlined the ministry’s commitment to laying a solid foundation for a successful election abroad.
“Despite the condensed timeline, all requisite arrangements for conducting the presidential election abroad have been diligently put in place,” he stated.
He added that through engagement with authorities in other countries, assurances have been secured that no disruptions or obstacles will impede Iranians from exercising their voting rights peacefully.
Iranian embassies prepared for June 28 election
Embassies of the Islamic Republic of Iran in different countries have affirmed full preparedness to facilitate the voting on Friday 28 to elect the new president of the country.
The Iranian embassy in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, in a statement confirmed the completion of necessary arrangements for the June 28 election.
Mohammad Boroujerdi, Iranian ambassador to Jakarta, emphasized the adherence to established frameworks and the appointment of executive and supervisory boards to oversee election procedures.
In China, four constituencies in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong have been set up.
Saeed Khatibzadeh, former spokesman for the Iranian foreign ministry and Tehran’s ambassador to Croatia, has asserted the readiness of Iran’s embassy in Zagreb to conduct the Friday election.
Tehran’s ambassador to Seoul, Saeed Koozechi, has also outlined plans to establish both stationary and mobile ballots in South Korea’s cities of Busan, Ulsan, and Daejeon.
The Iranian embassy in the Finnish capital, Helsinki, has also confirmed its full readiness to oversee the 14th presidential election on Friday.
Davoud Rezaei Eskandari, the acting consul general of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Indian city of Mumbai also expressed his consulate’s readiness to hold the vote on Friday.
Iran’s embassy in Sweden also confirmed its readiness to host the presidential election in both the Iranian embassy in Stockholm and the Swedish city of Gothenburg.
Mohammad Ahmadi, Iran’s temporary chargé d’affaires in Stockholm, extended an invitation to Iranian nationals in Malmo and surrounding cities to participate in the election by visiting constituencies in the city of Copenhagen, Denmark, due to their proximity.
The Iranian embassies in Serbia, Pakistan, Malaysia, Vienna, England, Turkey, and the Philippines have all expressed their preparedness to facilitate voting for Iranian nationals on Friday polls.
