Iran's parliamentary runoff elections got underway Friday at 8 AM in 55 constituencies across the country to decide for the remaining 68 seats in the 10th parliament.
The elections are being held in 21 provinces including Khuzestan, West Azerbaijan, Lorestan, Fars, Zanjan, Golestan, Ilam, Tehran, Gilan, Markazi, Ardabil, Isfahan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Kurdistan, Kermanshah, Mazandaran, Hamedan, Khorasan Razavi, Hormozgan, and Yazd.
In the first round of the elections held on February 26, 221 candidates managed to secure seats in the parliament by obtaining at least 25 percent of votes.
The remaining 136 candidates consist of 53 Principalists, 38 Reformists and 45 Independent.
Nearly 17 million are eligible to vote, with 60,000 more eligible voters compared to the first round of the elections.
While in the first round, at least 25 percent of the votes in a constituency was needed to decide who would sit in the parliament, the criterion for being elected in the run-off is relative majority with any number of votes.
Polls will be open until at least 6 p.m., but election hours may get extended by Interior Minister Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, who told reporters that election results are expected on Saturday.
About 250 local and foreign reporters will cover this significant event.
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