Iranians head to the polls for contentious parliamentary elections, but not everyone is participating. Thousands of moderate candidates were barred from the race, which left some calling for a boycott.

As the election approached, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called on followers to vote.

"Voting is a religious duty, which we have said in the past. And the truth is that elections guarantee the national interests of Iran," Khamenei said.

And many Iranian's answered his call.

"I am here to vote because of my leader's (Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) order. His order is a religious one and we must follow it. He also said voting will guarantee the security of the country," said Masumeh Ezat Azad, a teacher in Iran.

This is Iran’s 11th parliamentary election since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Tensions are heightened after the Iranian downing of a Ukrainian plane in January led to anti-government protests. 

With a field of hardliners running to fill 290 seats, will this vote affect the Islamic Republic’s power structure?