Egyptian Election Authority president discusses proposals for expatriate voting

CAIRO - 22 August 2023: Head of Egypt’s National Election Authority Waleed Hamza revealed that the commission has adopted numerous measures to regulate the transport of election materials and other logistical necessities, in preparation for the forthcoming presidential elections.

Speaking exclusively to "Youm 7", on the sidelines of signing a cooperation protocol between the National Election Commission and the Egyptian Postal Service, Hamza emphasized that collaborating with the National Postal Authority would play a pivotal role. This cooperation is intended to facilitate the transportation of all election necessities from the commission’s headquarters in Cairo to all provinces, leveraging the extensive infrastructure and broad geographic reach of the Postal Authority.

Hamza further praised the capabilities of the Egyptian Postal Service, expecting them to perform the task proficiently using their expansive resources distributed across the country.

Regarding the upcoming presidential elections, the commission president noted that they are focused on finalizing logistical preparations. He hinted that the date for the next presidential elections will be announced soon, in line with the constitutional provisions.

Stressing on the legitimacy of the process, Hamza confirmed that the upcoming presidential elections would be conducted under judicial supervision. On this note, he pointed out the readiness of judges to oversee the elections, emphasizing there was no shortage in their number.

Hamza reiterated that judicial oversight would enhance the integrity and transparency of the polls, with a judge being assigned to each ballot box.

As for the voting process of Egyptians abroad, Hamza asserted that all proposals related to the expatriate voting process are under scrutiny.

While the use of express mail was allowed for overseas voting in the past, the commission is now examining all the challenges that emerged during its implementation to determine the most efficient method for expatriates to cast their votes.