In Iran elections, getting votes means going to social media

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — In Tehran, pedestrians walk by, staring transfixed at their mobile phones like in any other major city, though what's being shared now more often than not are campaign promises and candidate lists for Iran's upcoming elections.

Using messaging apps like Telegram and other social media platforms, Iranians and political aspirants of all kinds are preparing for Friday's vote for parliament and the Assembly of Experts, trading lists of names for those backing their views.

Iran blocked access to Facebook and Twitter after the country's disputed 2009 presidential election, when footage of the shooting death of a young woman, Neda Agha Soltan, at a protest circulated on social media.

Others use virtual private networks — which allow users to bypass Internet filters — to access blocked social media sites.

Soroush Farhadian, a Tehran-based political analyst, said such social media messaging allow candidates to reach voters in a country that does not allow private radio stations or television networks.