58 million Voters Legible for Egypt’s Presidential Election

Egypt’s National Elections Authority chief Lasheen Ibrahim gives a press conference in Cairo on January 8, 2018, to announce that Egyptians will head to the polls on March 26-28 in the first round of a presidential election. / AFP PHOTO / MOHAMED EL-SHAHED

58 million Voters Legible for Egypt’s Presidential Election

 Egypt’s National Elections Authority has affirmed electoral guideline for the country’s presidential election this march. Election will beginning from March 26 while run-off (if necessary) will hold April 24-26.

Until today, 58 million Egyptians are legible to vote and be voted for. According to the electoral law, names may still be added or removed from the published names before the election takes place.

Egypt’s Voting Rights Law provides the following:

Article 1:

Egypt’s citizen who is over the age of 18 has the following political rights:

First: Voting in any referendum stated in the constitution.

Second: Electing the President of the Arab Republic of Egypt, Members of the House of Representatives, and Members of Municipal Councils.

All officers and personnel in the armed forces and the police are EXEMPTED from voting in any elections or referenda while still in service.

Article 2:

Conditions that temporarily deny citizens voting rights are as follows:

Section 1

1) Citizens under guardianship for mental illness.
2) Patients in mental healthcare institutions in accordance with Law 71/2009.

Section 2

1) Convicts of tax evasion.
2) Convicts of corruption of political life.
3) Citizens whose properties and savings have been confiscated by a court ruling.
4) Former civil and public sector employees who were dismissed for committing a criminal offence.
5) Convicts of fraud or default.
6) Convicts of any crime.
7) Citizens who served prison sentences.

The Ministry of Interior will be securing all polling locations and providing them with wheelchairs to help old citizens and the disabled.

According to Egypt today, potential candidates are allowed to submit their applications on January 20 – 29. The final list of the candidates will be announced on February 24.

Voting will take place for three days starting March 26 domestically, while it will begin on March 16 for expats from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. in each country’s local time. The winning candidate will be announced on April 2.

According to Article 140 of the Egyptian Constitution, electoral procedures should begin a minimum of 120 days before the end of the current presidential term and the president-elect should be announced a minimum of 30 days before the end of the previous president’s term. The current presidential term will end in June 2018.

Egypt’s electoral procedures consist of receiving and scrutinizing applications and appeals, as well as setting the electoral lists and campaign regulations.