No Clear Winner in Iran's Presidential Race

Rafsanjani, a millionaire and moderate cleric, has emphasized his negotiating credentials as a "pragmatic conservative." His business interests run deep in Iran's state-dominated economy, and he is often called the country's richest man.

"He's well-off, so there's little risk of him getting himself involved in corruption," said Tahere Dasht, 19, explaining her vote.

Reformists were upbeat throughout the day, citing strong support for Moin in outlying provinces heavily populated by minorities, including the ethnic Kurdish northwest and the desert reaches of Sistan and Baluchistan.

Turnout was low for a presidential election in Iran, but not a record. In advance of Friday's ballot, hard-line clerics had pointed out that such figures were comparable to turnout in American elections and should not be interpreted as a test of the system's legitimacy, as dissidents maintain. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei declared that a vote cast for any candidate Friday was a vote "for the Islamic system." Khamenei holds the title of Iran's Supreme Leader, and along with three bodies dominated by unelected clerics, wields authority beyond any elected official.

Some Iranians said they decided to vote after hearing President Bush discount the credibility of Friday's ballot. The White House on Thursday issued a statement saying Iran's electoral process "ignores the basic requirements of democracy."

The candidate slate was culled by the country's Guardian Council, a much-criticized panel dominated by clerics who disqualified more than 1,000 presidential candidates, including all female hopefuls.

"Iranians turned out today because we want to say to the world we don't want anybody to decide for us," Goli Mitrazad said after casting her ballot at a landmark Tehran mosque.

A larger-than-expected turnout stood to boost reformists. After years of seeing Khatami thwarted, reformists have struggled to sustain the enthusiasm of the large majority of Iranian voters who twice voted him into office. In the weeks before Friday's ballot, it was difficult to find residents of the capital who said they planned to vote. After seeing their hopes for dramatic change wither under Khatami, many indicated they would avoid ballot boxes as a protest, and as a way of restoring wounded pride.

At a west Tehran polling station, an activist trying to boost turnout implored three young women displaying their hair and figures to an extent that would have landed them in jail even four years ago. They would vote for Moin if they could bring themselves to care enough, they said, but they were only waiting for a friend.

"You can make a 10 percent difference at least," Javad Mostoufi said. "If you don't vote, it's going to be Hashemi again," he said, referring to Rafsanjani by the middle name the candidate has used on bumper stickers. "It's stupid not to vote."

Special correspondent Mehrdad Mirdamadi contributed to this report.