2nd day of Egypt’s Presidential election closes with unprecedented participation rate

CAIRO- 11 December 2023: For the second day in a row, the 2024 Egyptian Presidential election witnessed an unprecedented participation rate with 45 percent of eligible voters per data issued on Monday noon by the National Election Authority (NEA).

The polling stations opened at 9:00 AM and received large numbers of voters nationwide, amid high participations by women and elderly people to choose between four candidates: incumbent President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, who has been in post for two terms since 2014; Farid Zahran, head of the Egyptian Social Democratic Party; Abdel Sanad Yamama, Head of Al-Wafd Party; and Hazem Omar, head of the Republican People’s Party.

Those who cast their votes in the presidential elections as of 12:00 PM on Monday constitute approximately 45% of the total number of eligible voters, said Ahmed Al-Bendari, Director of the Executive Board of the National Elections Authority (NEA) in a statement on Monday.

He added that some polling stations ran out of ballot voters due to the high turnout.The Presidential electoral process went regularly in all polling stations nationwide without any difficulties or obstacles for voters, Bendari continued.

Due to the high turnout, Bandari directed the judges supervising the elections to allow voters to cast their ballots in the presidential elections with expired national ID cards. He also directed that voters inside the polling station are allowed to cast their ballots even after the end of voting time.

Egypt’s youth are marking a remarkable attendance rate at polling stations, carrying Egyptian flags and participating in marches to urge citizens to vote.

Women, also are taking the lead and appearing at forefront of the Elections scene with the highest attendance rates at the polling station on Monday, same as the first day of Egypt’s 2024 Presidential elections. For instance, in Giza polling stations women have lined up since the early morning to cast their ballots. Also, more lines and crowed of women were seen at Port Fuad city and Al Qanatir Al Khayriyyah.

In Al Asmarat neighborhood, women made huge turn outs in front of polling stations, and took their children to Tahya Misr 1 school [polling station] to cast their votes on the second day of the Egyptian presidential elections.

And despite the health conditions of some elderly people; however, it did not prevent them from being present in front of the polling stations from the first hours to cast their ballots as they were seen all over the country not just participating, but urging all Egyptians to vote.

Unprecedented Participation rate

The Egyptian Center For Economic Studies – ECES said that the 2024 Presidential Election has witnessed the highest voting percentage in the history of previous presidential elections.

The ECES added in a statement that 45% of eligible voters have cast their ballots as of the middle of the 2nd day of the voting process per the data from the National Election Authority shows Egyptian voters’ awareness that these elections are being held amid political pluralism and guarantees of the integrity of the elections.

Engineer Mohamed Rizk, leader of the Mostaqbal Watan Party, said that the participation of 45% of the total voters in the 2024 presidential elections represents a historic victory for Egypt state and reveals the awareness of its people.

Voting 45% of eligible people confirms the Egyptian citizen’s awareness of the importance of the constitutional entitlement, said Muhammad Abu Al-Ela, head of the Arab Nasserite Party.

The Justice Party’s election observation rooms (25 rooms in 18 governorates) said that the second day of the election started with a low turnout that increased throughout the day. The central operation room of the party recorded voting rates ranging from 30% to 45%.

22K observers monitoring Egypt's 2024 presidential elections

A total of 22,000 observers from civil society organizations and associations are monitoring the electoral process of the 2024 Egyptian presdiential elections. 

The media coverage of the elections witnesses the participation of 4,218 journalists, including 110 foreign media outlets, in addition to 70 satellite channels and local journalists.

The elections further witnesses the participation of 24 foreign diplomatic missions of different nationalities to follow up on the processes of the elections since the first day.

The Egyptian Organization for Human Rights has 188 professional observers of the current presidential elections, in addition to 4,218 media observers, and 24 diplomatic missions that have been following the elections since day one, which supports the decisions of the decision-maker after the elections and forces external parties to respect his decisions because they are sure that he came with support.

The head of the National Council for Human Rights (NCHR), Ambassador Moushira Khattab, said that we are reassured that the 2024 presidential elections will proceed in a calm and honorable manner after the turnout of citizens at the polling stations and the good organization of the process, stressing that the council has not received any complaints or violations so far that affect the conduct of the electoral process.

Egypt’s polling stations has started working regularly and smoothly on its second day of the 2024 Presidential Elections, according to Bandari.

Voter turnout at the polling station on the first day of the three-day voting in the 2024 presidential election has exceeded all expectations, according to Ahmed Bandari, the Director of the Executive Body of the National Elections Authority in a press conference.

“Some polling stations continued their work after 9:00 PM due to the large number of voters arriving there,” he said, noting that a number of polling stations ran out of ballot cards and then were provided with new ones.

The number of citizens, who inquired about their polling stations through the official website of the National Elections Authority from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM on the first day of election, exceeded 5 million people, compared with 1.3 million people in 2014, he added.

The 2024 presidential election is the fifth multi-party presidential elections that the country has witnessed in its modern history. The 2024 elections gain their importance from being a major step in the country’s path towards democratic transformation, party pluralism and political competitiveness, which came after a year and a half of serious and unprecedented national dialogue, which included all components Egyptian political, union and civil society.

The 2024 Presidential Elections for citizens inside the country is taking place a few days after the three-day voting process for Egyptians abroad was concluded early in December.

The final result will be announced on December 18 if no run-off is required. Voting inside the country will take place from 10-12 December.