Iran gears up for Friday presidential vote

Two candidates are out and six are still in the race. Unofficial polls imply some are neck and neck; that’s why so much time is being spent on provincial campaigns. The same polls also show that the number of undecided voters is fairly high, but a few of the people polled have said they won’t vote at all, according to Press TV.

Some of the candidates have been locked in a tight race for weeks. They are engaged in final campaigns, trying to sway undecided voters or to encourage their supporters to get to the polls. Needless to say, all political groups and factions have a high stake in winning the race, the first test of political strength since the parliamentary elections of 2012.

The campaign tactics and the razor-thin margins in key provinces are further indications of the closeness of the presidential race. This raises the possibility of the election going to the second round.

The official campaign will shut down on Thursday, and a day later over fifty-million voters will decide on the successor to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

R.S