Who are ineligible to vote in 2018 presidential election?

Cairo – 19 January 2018: Some citizens will not be able to vote in the upcoming presidential election, according to constitutional expert Dr. Salah Fawzy on Friday.

“Constitutionally, policemen and members of the armed forces are not allowed to cast their votes, as long as they are serving in the state.”

“Election is a very critical period for citizens, and requires high-level security and stability by security forces,” Fawzy explained, adding that being part of the state’s executive authority contradicts with the principle of neutrality of the election.

The expert revealed that at the present time, proxy voting is not legitimate, adding that it might become available in the future, after rooting the ground rules of democratic voting in Egypt. Until then, the citizen should cast his vote personally.

Voting in the 2018 presidential elections in Egypt will start on March 26, as announced by the National Electoral Authority (NEA) on Monday, January 8. Sixty million eligible voters will cast their ballots in the election between March 26 and 28 in Egypt, while expatriates will vote between March 16 and 18.

In a press conference held by NEA Chairman Lasheen Ibrahim on January 8, he affirmed that the final list of candidates will be announced on February 24, noting that the deadline for any candidate to retract will be on March 1. The primary results of the first round of the election will be announced on March 29, after decisions on appeals submitted by candidates, if any, will be made.

President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, who has not yet announced his candidacy for a second four-year term, is the sixth president of Egypt and came to office in June 2014 after the June 30 Revolution, which toppled former President Mohamed Morsi, who is affiliated with the now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.