Presidential Election Procedures Set to Roll on May 11

The administrative procedures and enrollments for the upcoming Iranian presidential elections will begin on May 11, according to the chief of the Interior Ministry’s national elections taskforce.
“The enrolments will definitely be electronic and via [mobile] applications that will be introduced,” Jamal Orf said in a press briefing on Saturday, ISNA reported. 
Almost all processes will be online due to the outbreak of the coronavirus, except for one questionnaire that volunteers will have to sign in person at the Interior Ministry, according to Orf. 
He noted that election advertising will also be carried out in a way that would draw the least crowds. 
“We will use the cyberspace and the state television and radio for advertising,” he added. 
Election laws do not allow added voting days, but the taskforce will increase the hours to avoid crowds. 
The taskforce’s chief said it will also increase the number of polling stations by 10% while strictly enforcing social distancing protocols on election day. 
“We will try to hold the elections in a safe environment so that people will not have any [health] concerns,” he said. 

Simultaneous Elections 

On June 18, Iranians will choose the country’s next president to replace Hassan Rouhani who cannot run again due to term restrictions. 
The whole process for the country’s 13th presidential election has been scheduled to take 39 days, beginning on May 11 when administrative councils will begin enrolments in five days. 
The final list of candidates will be announced on May 26 and 27 and advertising will be allowed for 20 days from May 28 to June 16.
Advertising will be banned after June 17 and the voting will take place on June 18.  
Midterm elections for the parliament and the Assembly of Experts as well as the city and village council elections are set to be held on the same day.
Six constituencies will cast votes to fill the parliament seats that have remained empty due to three lawmakers’ death from Covid-19 and three others’ disqualification.    
Midterm elections will also be held in three constituencies whose representatives in the Assembly of Experts, the deliberative body empowered to appoint and dismiss the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, have passed away. 
Some 1,370 cities and 40,000 villages will also announce their representatives for the city and village councils on June 18. 
The administrative procedures for the elections of city and village councils, parliament and Assembly of Experts will be initiated on March 9, March 28 and April 2 respectively. 
According to Orf, electronic ballots will only be used for city and village council elections in 10,000 constituencies in around 130 cities.
“The Guardians Council, which is in charge of overseeing elections, has not agreed to allow electronic voting for the parliamentary and presidential polls,” he said.