Originally posted by the Voice of America.
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                     Iranians Vote in Presidential Election

   Iranians are voting Friday to elect a new president in an electoral
   process highly controlled by the government.
   Citizens can choose one of six remaining candidates who were approved
   by a panel of Iran`s ruling clerics. Most are considered hardliners who
   support the government structure and are loyal to the country`s supreme
   leader.
   Iran`s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei cast his vote in Tehran
   Friday. Afterward, he rejected U.S. criticism of the elections, saying
   Iran would be a "loser" to wait and see what Americans accepted.
   Iran sealed most of its borders, rounded up dissidents and detained
   some journalists. Most foreign news organizations say their attempts to
   get visas to cover the election were unheeded by the government.
   Some 55 million Iranians are eligible to vote.
   The winner will be the successor to two-term President Mahmoud
   Ahmadinejad, who is constitutionally barred from a third consecutive
   term.
   Iran`s supreme leader has been calling for Iranians to show up to vote
   in large numbers.
   Heading into the campaign, many analysts viewed Iran`s chief nuclear
   negotiator, Saeed Jalili, as the likely favorite. But moderate
   candidate and former nuclear negotiator Hassan Rowhani has been gaining
   prominence in recent days.
   One candidate seen as reformist, Mohammad Reza Aref, dropped out this
   week and then announced his support for Rowhani. Another candidate,
   Gholam Ali Haddad Adel, dropped out of contention Monday saying he
   wanted to boost the chances of his fellow conservatives.
   The election winner will be faced with an economy struggling with high
   unemployment and inflation, crippled by international sanctions imposed
   over Iran`s disputed nuclear program.
   While some candidates have voiced support for improved ties with the
   international community, major policy decisions rest with the supreme
   leader.
   To win, a candidate must get 50 percent of the vote. If no one succeeds
   after the initial vote, a runoff election will be scheduled a week
   later.
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References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/iranians-vote-in-presidential-election/1681614.html