Raisi owns it. He's a Principlist (a practitioner of the darkest of the dark arts in theocracy-land), a leader of the Combatant Clergy Association (the name alone should spell him out for you) and the absolute darling of the Supreme Leadership. In maybe a happier moment in Iran's post-Khomeini history, Rouhani sailed past the 2017 presidential competition led by none other than Raisi, who rallied behind him every hardliner from the Caspian shore to Fars Province. This time around, the Guardian Council does not make the same mistake - only two moderates were allowed through; free-marketeer Hemmati and the 'youth-focused' ex Isfahan governor Mehralizadeh. Neither of them have a chance in Jahannam. The Theocracy Strikes Back. Iran's in for it.

Did these three candidates actually "drop out" (i.e. votes cast for them will not be counted) or was this more of a "dropping out in spirit"?

There may be votes for them (we'll see), and we'll certainly display these votes if they come. As far as the press/the record is concerned, they have 'dropped out'. They all gave their resignation letters to the Interior Ministry, and the Ministry officially 'struck them off' as candidates. Unsure whether they will remain on whatever Iran uses as 'ballots'. Smells like this was set up from the start.

IndyG, the Mehr News Agency put out this news a moment ago after Zakani's drop out was accepted by the Interior Ministry today https://www.mehrnews.com/news/5237019/%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AA-%DA%A9%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%B5%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%81-%D8%B9%D9%84%DB%8C%D8%B1%D8%B6%D8%A7-%D8%B2%D8%A7%DA%A9%D8%A7%D9%86%DB%8C-%D8%B1%D8%A7-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%A6%DB%8C%D8%AF-%DA%A9%D8%B1%D8%AF It states that the Interior Ministry now list "the names of the candidates for the 13th presidential election as follows: 1- Mr. Mohsen Rezaei Mir Ghaed 2- Mr. Seyed Ebrahim Raeisi 3- Mr. Seyed Amir Hossein Ghazizadeh Hashemi 4- Mr. Abdolnasser Hemmati The Interior Ministry's site says the same thing but full access to it is "forbidden from my Geographic IP address" https://moi.ir/fa/%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AA/%D8%A7%D8%B7%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%B9%DB%8C%D9%87-%D9%87%D8%A7%DB%8C-%D8%B3%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AA-%DA%A9%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%B1 Can you get access? This may impede our adding up totals in real time.

I don't have access. Guess we will just have to wait until they make the results..

Empty voting stations throughout Iran - lasting for hours. Voter participation rates have been awful, and are heading into Algeria election-type levels https://twitter.com/hashtag/IraniansBoycottElections?src=hashtag_click The regime has noticed and just extended voting hours to 9pm (!) Iran Standard Time https://www.mehrnews.com/news/5237440/%D8%B1%D9%87%D8%A8%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%82%D9%84%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%85-%D8%A8%DB%8C%D8%A7%DB%8C%D9%86%D8%AF-%D8%AA%D8%B4%D8%AE%DB%8C%D8%B5-%D8%AF%D9%87%D9%86%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%A8-%DA%A9%D9%86%D9%86%D8%AF-%D9%88-%D8%B1%D8%A3%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D9%87%D9%86%D8%AF

IndyG, avoiding embarrassment seems to the case, and more conspicuous than anyone expected. By about 8:00pm Tehran time, after voter participation numbers were revealed to be shockingly low, Iran's constitutional council extended voting hours to 10 pm https://www.mehrnews.com/news/5238564/%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%B0-%D8%B1%D8%A3%DB%8C-%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%B1-%DA%A9%D8%B4%D9%88%D8%B1-%D8%AA%D8%A7-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AA-%DB%B2%DB%B2-%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%AF-%D8%B4%D8%AF. Then, still not satisfied, it was extended to midnight https://www.mehrnews.com/news/5237440/%D8%A2%D8%AE%D8%B1%DB%8C%D9%86-%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%B1%D9%87%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%AD%D8%B6%D9%88%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%85-%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%AA%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%AA%D8%A7-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AA-%DB%B2%DB%B4-%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%AF%DB%8C%D8%AF-%D8%B4%D8%AF Maybe they could draw it out into Sunday. Voting is just so much fun in Iran. Best option for next time: decree compulsory(-or-else) voting as in Turkmenistan.

Now 2 am. https://www.mehrnews.com/news/5237440/%D8%A2%D8%AE%D8%B1%DB%8C%D9%86-%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%B1%D9%87%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D8%B2-%D8%AD%D8%B6%D9%88%D8%B1-%D9%85%D8%B1%D8%AF%D9%85-%D8%B1%D8%A7%DB%8C-%DA%AF%DB%8C%D8%B1%DB%8C-%D8%AA%D8%A7-%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AA-%DB%B2-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%85%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%87-%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AF

I guess by keeping the polls open, Iran avoided the embarrassment of Raisi getting fewer votes losing the Presidential election with 38% than winning the Presidential election with 72%. ...but not my much.

Oh wow, glad you caught that detail.