RNA - The American media outlets are taken by surprise, saying people in Iran are keen on contributing a role in deciding the country's fate. CNN said its journalists in Tehran reported seeing long lines as voters apparently heeded calls for a big turnout.
New York Times said in an article on its website that Iranians lined up at polling places on Friday to cast ballots in a crucial election with economy as its main issue.
The event has been the focus of attention in worldwide media since this morning.
Indian, Lebanese, American, European, Arab and other regional media outlets, including Outlook, GC TV, RT Al-Manar, Al-Jazeera, Hurriyet Daily News and New Arab, have all given wide coverage to the polling.
Iranians on Friday went to the polling centers to vote in the country's 12th presidential and 5th city and village councils elections.
Polling stations opened at 8 am (03:30 GMT) Friday and were scheduled to close at 6:00 pm (13:30 GMT) before the Interior Ministry statement extended the voting hours for three times.
Iran's Interior Ministry extended the voting hours for a fourth time, and announced that polling stations across the country will be open until 12 pm (19:30 GMT) in the 12th presidential and 5th city and village councils elections.
Polling stations opened at 8:00 am (03:30 GMT) and were originally set to close at 6:00 pm local time (13:30 GMT) on Friday, but voting was extended first until 8:00 pm (15:30 GMT), then for a second time to 10 pm (17:30 GMT), then to 11 pm (18:30 GMT) and eventually for a fourth time to 12 pm (19:30 GMT) .
Considering the high turnout of the Iranians at the polling stations and the long queues of the people waiting to cast their votes, it was decided that voting time be extended for another hour to 12:00 pm (19:30 GMT), an official Interior Ministry statement said.
According to presidential election laws, all Iranian nationals above 18 years of age are eligible to vote.
Iranian voters went to over 63,000 polling stations in and outside the country today to elect their next president.
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