Iranians vote in high-stakes election

(CNN)   Iran's polls opened Friday morning in a critical election that will determine whether the country will continue with the reforms taken by President Hassan Rouhani or if conservative opposition will sweep into power that could derail his agenda.

Voters will determine the members of two crucial governing institutions -- the Parliament and the Assembly of Experts. In Rouhani's 2½ years in office, the president has signed a deal that limited Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. If more hardliners are elected, relations could regress back to stalemate days, putting in jeopardy much of the recent progress -- such as the nuclear agreement.

Campaigning in Tehran has been fierce with billboards and activists from both sides flocking the streets. Some have even deemed the election as the most important non-presidential race since the Islamic Revolution in 1979.

Many Iranian youth say life has improved under Rouhani, while conservatives express concerns about Western influence in the country. They accuse reformers of selling out to the West and have alleged foreign interference in the election. "Death to America" chants are still common.

"We need to defeat the enemies of our country and always stay vigilant and stop infiltration from the West," a female voter told CNN on the eve of the vote.

A month before the election, many pro-reform candidates who might support Rouhani and his more moderate agenda were disqualified from participating. Thousands of candidates were blocked from running by an unelected, conservative 12-member group called the Guardian Council. Human Rights Watch condemned the action: "Serious electoral flaws are restricting the rights of Iranians to run for office and damaging prospects for free and fair parliamentary elections."

Assembly of Experts and the Ayatollah

Friday's ballot is critical because voters will also determine the makeup of the Assembly of Experts, an oversight body responsible for selecting the supreme leader's successor.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is 76 years old and has been rumored to be ill. If Khamenei passes away in the next eight years the Assembly voted into power on Friday will select the next supreme leader.

Khamenei publicly cast his ballot shortly after the polls opened in Tehran.

How voters feel

Many Iranian youth favor Rouhani and that demographic's support is critical as more than 60% of Iranians are under the age of 30, according to World Bank figures from 2013. Youth unemployment and underemployment have been significant issues for young people.

"It's obvious that he understands the problem," said Parnian Seyfe, 19, standing outside the reformist candidates' headquarters. "And he's trying to solve it (in logical) ways, not war or anything." Whether the majority of the country agrees with that assessment remains to be seen.