Iran will vote tomorrow, Friday, in the second round of the presidential elections where reformist candidate Masoud Bezheskian faces hardliner Saeed Jalili. The latest poll conducted by the "ISPA" center with 3,606 individuals over the age of 18, across cities and villages nationwide, shows Bezheskian leading over Jalili, according to Iranian news agencies. Voter turnout in the second round is estimated at approximately 48%, according to an ISPA report. The report noted that, considering effective variables and data validation tests, the turnout could be 45% with a margin of error of ±2.
The anticipated voting percentage for Bezheskian is about 49.5%, while Jalili is expected to receive around 43.9%. In this poll, about 4.8% of respondents stated they have not yet chosen their candidate. This segment of undecided voters may finalize their decision by the voting day, which is Friday. Consequently, the final count of votes received by each candidate and the number of blank votes will be determined.
It is noted that following the victory of reformist Masoud Bezheskian and hardliner Saeed Jalili in the first round on June 28, the elections will be settled in the second round on July 5, less than two months after the death of President Ebrahim Raisi in a helicopter crash. Bezheskian received 42.4% of the votes, while Jalili garnered 38.6%. Since neither candidate secured more than 50% of the votes, July 5 was set for the second round. It is also worth mentioning that voter turnout in the first round reached 39.92%, the lowest level since 1979.
