Voting began in the Iranian parliamentary election on Friday as supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was seen casting the first vote on the state television, says a Xinhua report.
“The election safeguards the interests of the country,” Khamenei said, urging the nation to actively participate in the polls and calling the election day as a “national celebration.”
Nearly 58 million Iranians are eligible to vote in the parliamentary elections, during which lawmakers for the 290-seat chamber will be elected.
Out of the total, 2.9 million are potential first-time voters. The voting age in Iran has been 18 since January 2007.
