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On election day, Iranians divided over future of country

Polls close after Iranians turn out in large numbers to cast their votes in the 2017 presidential election.
Voters cast their ballots during the presidential election in a Jewish and Christian district in the center of Tehran, Iran, May 19, 2017. TIMA via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. FOR EDITORIAL USE ONLY. - RTX36KLY

TEHRAN, Iran — It was 6 a.m. when we reached the leader of Iran’s residence in central Tehran. It was my first visit to the vast compound that brings together all the state institutions under the supreme leader's direct supervision. At 8 a.m. sharp, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei entered the hall where he is supposed to cast his votes — one for the presidential election and another for the local and municipal elections. Khamenei greeted the electoral committee first. He headed toward the ballots, smiled at the journalists — mostly Iranian and a few foreigners — then closed his eyes and murmured some words, apparently a prayer, then cast his votes.

Nobody knows Khamenei’s electoral choices. “I believe that the presidential election is extremely important,” Khamenei told reporters. “The destiny of the country is in the hands of the people who choose the head of the executive branch. They should be aware of the significance of this,” he added.

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