A total of 243 people have registered their candidacy so far, officials said on Thursday.

The registration of hopefuls for the June 14 vote officially kicked off on May 7 and will last untill May 11.

Around two dozen political figures from across the political spectrum, most of them principlists, have so far voiced their intentions to run for president.

Among the famous political figures who signed up on the first day were Hassan Rohani, the former secretary of Iran’s supreme national security council; Kamran Baqeri-Lankarani, a former health minister; Iranian lawmaker Mostafa Kavakebian and Mohammad Saeedi-Kia, a former minister of housing and urban development.

The president of Iran is elected for a four-year term in a national election and hopefuls must be vetted for qualifications by the Guardian Council, the country’s top electoral supervisory body.

The next president will replace incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.