Reuters reports: Vote counting began in Iran on Saturday after a high turnout in an unexpectedly tight presidential election pitting President Hassan Rouhani, who wants to normalize ties with the West, against a hardline judge who says he has already gone too far.

More than 40 million votes were cast, the interior ministry said, indicating a turnout of about 70 percent in Friday’s vote, roughly similar to the showing in 2013 elections when Rouhani swept into office in a landslide victory.

Voting was extended by six hours because many people were still waiting in line. Iranian newspapers praised the turnout, carrying headlines like “a historical victory for Iranians”.

Pro-reform news websites said Rouhani was the victor. They offered no evidence, but the big turnout could favor Rouhani, whose backers’ main worry has been apathy among reformist-leaning voters disappointed with the slow pace of change.

Rouhani, 68, who took office promising to open Iran to the world and give its citizens more freedom at home, faced an unexpectedly strong challenge from hardliner Ebrahim Raisi, a protege of supreme leader Ali Khamenei. [Continue reading…]