Voices of Iranians ahead of the presidential election

Iranians are preparing this week to vote in — or perhaps to boycott — a presidential election that many fear will only underscore their powerlessness to shape the nation’s fate

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iranians this week are preparing to vote in — or perhaps to boycott — a presidential election that many fear will only underscore their powerlessness to shape the country's fate. Hopefuls are running to replace the term-limited President Hassan Rouhani, whose promises of a bright economic future withered as Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers collapsed. The backlash of disappointment in Rouhani’s relatively moderate administration has given hard-liners an edge this time, analysts say, even as the U.S. and Iran now negotiate a return to the landmark accord. Iran’s clerical vetting committee has allowed just seven candidates on Friday's ballot, nixing prominent reformists and key Rouhani allies. The presumed front-runner has become Ebrahim Raisi, the country’s hard-line judiciary chief who’s closely aligned with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. As Iran reels from the coronavirus pandemic, global isolation, sweeping U.S. sanctions and runaway inflation, the mood among potential voters appears to be one of apathy. Tehran, the vast and churning capital, has been eerily quiet in the days leading up to the poll, with some Raisi campaign posters scattered around the city and none of the huge rallies that drew roaring crowds to the streets during past election seasons.