The "Ballots" In The "Election," Ctd.

A reader writes:

You write: "As one of Nico's readers notes, you will notice that the name Ahmadinejad is written on the ballots in exactly the same handwriting on many of them."  I don't speak Persian, but I do know Arabic, which uses the same script.  I can see differences in the names found in the three boxes, so much so that you can't say they are "exactly the same handwriting." 

Look at the name Ahmadi, especially the letter combination Haa + miim and the position of the yaa relative to the daal.  In the right hand box, the large Haa looks closed, and it is distinctly higher than the miim.  The yaa is much higher than the daal.  In the top left box, the Haa is open, and the yaa is at the same level as the daal.  In the bottom left box, the Haa is written extremely small and is scrunched into the miim.  Moreover, the yaa is on the same level or slightly above the daal, and very close to it; it also has a much less defined curve. 

Going beyond the handwriting, each of these three ballots has something different before the name Ahmadinejad.  In the top left, it is maHmuud; in the bottom left, it is something like 'aaqaay; and in the right, it looks like duktur (?) maHmuud.

I don't think these were written by the same person.  The handwriting is distinct, and if you were going to write out a lot of ballots with the same name, it would be difficult to vary the first names or titles that you are writing.

--PA