Election Day in Iran! Color and Tweets

February 26, 2016
Iranians went to the polls on February 26 to elect a new Parliament and Assembly of Experts at a pivotal time in the Islamic Republic’s history. The following are snapshots of different aspects of the day — leaders voting, reformist and centrist turnout, hardliners at the polls, youth and women turnout, religious minorities, and commentary.
 

Top Leaders Vote 

Rouhani compared voting to a great business deal, saying that one hour of work yields four years of profit.

Former President Mohammad Khatami, a reformist whose image is banned from the media, was mobbed at the polling station by supporters.
Vice President Masoumeh Ebtekar (below) is also head of the Environmental Protection Organization. “The high voter turnout today will give Iran strong leverage in economic and political ties with the world,” she tweeted.
 
 
 
Reformists and Centrists

Mir Hossein Mousavi, a former prime minister, and Mehdi Karroubi, a former speaker of parliament, were candidates in the 2009 presidential election who led protests against the disputed reelection of former President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The two Green Movement leaders, who have been under house arrest since 2011, reportedly requested mobile ballot boxes. Karroubi’s son told Reuters that his father had not yet had the opportunity to vote despite his decision to do so.
 
 
Hardliners and Conservatives
 
Lawmaker Mehdi Koochakzadeh was booed by people when he tried to skip a long line of voters. 
 

 
Youth Turnout
 

 
Women Vote
 
 
Maryam, a principilist voter, said she wants a more closed social or cultural environment. She asked, “How can it be more open than it already is?”
 
Religious Minorities Vote
 
 
Commentary
 
None of Iran’s official news agencies, other than the Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA), reported on Khatami’s voting due to the judiciary order banning him from being shown in the media, according to Sobhan Hassanvand and Rohollah Faghihi. 

 

 
 
Offbeat
 
 
 
Foreign Influence
 
 
The Vote Itself
 
 
Electronic voting machines were used for the first time at some polling sites.