IRNA -- Over 56 million Iranians are eligible to vote in the 12th Iran's presidential election which is slated to be held on May 19, a senior official announced.

He put the exact figure of eligible voters at 56,410,234.

'Iranian expatriates in other countries will be permitted to vote by their passports,' Head of the Election Committee of the Iranian Interior Ministry Ali Asghar Ahmadi told IRNA on Tuesday.

Ebrahim Raeisi, the custodian of Imam Reza (AS) holy shrine, Vice-President Eshaq Jahangiri, Tehran Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, former minister of culture and Islamic guidance Mostafa Mirsalim and former vice president Mostafa Hashemi Taba, as well as President Hassan Rouhani are the six candidates to compete in May 19 presidential elections.

After the 1979 Islamic Revolution which led to the fall of the Pahlavi regime, Iran has held one election each year on average all of which have witnessed large turnouts of the people.