Egyptian community members in Jordan cast their votes in the 2018 presidential election on March 16, 2018 - Press photo
CAIRO – 16 March 2018: Egyptian community members in Lebanon, Sudan and Jordan flocked to the Egyptian embassies early Friday to cast their votes in the 2018 presidential election, where President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi runs for a second term against politician and Head of al-Ghad Party Moussa Moustafa Moussa.
Egypt's ambassador to Sudan, Osama Shaltot stated that the embassy of Egypt in Khartoum opened its door for Egyptian expats early Friday after finishing all technical and logistical preparations for the voting process. Moreover, they provided the voters them with all facilities to ease the voting process.
On Beirut, Egyptian Ambassador to Lebanon Nazih al-Najjari stated on a telephone call with CBC Extra new channel that Friday is a normal working day in Beirut, therefore, the embassy expects that there will be an increase of the number of voters after the working day.
An electronic reader was installed in all Egyptian embassies around the world, to check the identity of every voter easily and quickly.
Consulates and embassies across the world were to officially open their doors Friday at 9 a.m. local time in each country.
The Egyptian embassy in New Zealand was the first to open to the electorate, given an 11 hour time difference with Cairo.
Due to political unrest and a worsening security situation, the elections would not take place in three countries Libya, Syria and Yemen.
Egyptians at home are due on March 26-28 to cast their ballots in the country's 27 governorates.
Egyptian Foreign Minister's Deputy Hamdi Loza said previously that all foreign missions have been provided with electronic scanners so voters’ ID cards and passports can be quickly scanned, noting that the whole expatriate voting process will be monitored by surveillance cameras linked with an operations room at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He added that the foreign ministry held training courses for committees that will supervise voting abroad under the supervision of the National Elections Authority (NEA), as well as other procedures aimed at facilitating the highest turnout from expats.
Loza called on Egyptians abroad to participate in the presidential elections, which will begin on March 16 and last for three days.
In 2017 the government estimated the number of Egyptians living abroad at 9.4 million.
The National Election Authority (NEA), headed by counselor Lashin Ibrahim, announced on February 24 the final list for Egypt’s upcoming presidential election including President Sisi and Moussa.
Sixty million eligible voters will cast their ballots in the election on March 26-28 in Egypt, while expatriates will vote between Friday and March 18 at 139 polling stations located in embassies and consulates of 124 countries, said Ibrahim in a press conference.
The primary results of the first round of the election will be announced on March 29, where decisions on appeals submitted by candidates, if any, will be made.
The final results of the first round will be announced on April 2.
Egyptian community members in Jordan cast their votes in the 2018 presidential election on March 16, 2018 - Press photo
Egyptian community members in Jordan cast their votes in the 2018 presidential election on March 16, 2018 - Press photo
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