CAIRO - 28 March 2018: Egyptians headed to the polls on Wednesday for the third and last day of the presidential election to cast their vote for their preferred candidate.

Alexandria, Cairo, Giza, and North Sinai governorates have recorded the highest turnout so far, according to a statement by the Supreme Media Council late on Tuesday.

Although no official reports were released regarding the size of turnout so far, women and elderly participation were remarkable in different governorates. Some governors said the turnout in the second day was higher than the first in their respective governorates.

Signs of joy were clear in highly crowded polling stations, where many voters sang national songs and danced outside schools, where the vote is being held.

The 2018 presidential election is the third poll to take place in Egypt since the January 2011 revolution.

Here is the live update on the electoral process:

10:00 p.m.

The voting of the 2018 presidential election has officially ended, to start the sorting process inside the polling stations under the supervision of judges and candidates delegates.

09:09 p.m.

Presidential candidate Moussa Mostafa Moussa expected Wednesday the turnout would reach 50 percent of the citizens with voting right, saying that the decision of extending the voting hours by one hour is the right decision to encourage citizens to participate, especially with the sand storm and the bad weather.

08:33 p.m.

The spokesperson of NEA Mahmoud al-Sherif affirmed that extending the voting hours is due to the big turnout of citizens who were careful to cast their ballots in the last few hours of the 3-day voting.

08:10 p.m.

Egyptian singer Amr Diab participated in the ongoing presidential election 2018.

The renowned singer shared his photos on Facebook with security men and election observers, commenting on the post "Tahya Misr - Long Live Egypt."


Egyptian singer Amr Diab casting his ballot in the ongoing presidential election 2018

7:40 p.m.

Voting time extended by one hour on Wednesday, polling stations to close at 10 p.m.

The National Election Authority (NEA) Spokesperson Mahmoud Helmy announced extending the voting period on Wednesday, the last day of presidential election by one hour, where polling stations across Egypt will close at 10 p.m (Cairo Local Time).

The decision to extend the voting time is meant to enable more voters to cast their votes, according to Helmy, especially as a bad weather hit the capital since Tuesday evening, which could have hindered some people to head to the polls.

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7:33 p.m.

Veteran singer Mounir cast his ballot in presidential poll

Veteran singer Mohamed Mounir voted at one of Sheikh Zayed's polling station, hours before closing the polling doors.

The 2018 presidential election witnessed heavy presence of Egyptian celebrities, who encouraged their fans to be positive and vote in favor of one of the two candidates.


Veteran singer Mohamed Mounir voted at one of Sheikh Zayed's polling station, hours before closing the polling doors

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4 p.m.

Sinai Bedouins eager to cast their votes

The Ministry of Education’s branch in el-Tor town of South Sinai transported its staff in buses to polling stations to cast their votes. Afterwards, the staff took to streets to encourage locals to vote.

The turnout at has been steady with lines of tens of people waited outside polling stations to cast their votes.


Mohamed Akl, undersecretary of the Education Ministry at el-Tor, and Fawzy Hammam, head of el-Tor City, and teachers in a demonstration calling on residents to vote on March 28, 2018 - Picture handed out to Egypt Today

In Central Sinai, which belongs to North Sinai administratively, the turnout has been significant since the morning. Members of the tribes Ahiawat, Huwaitat, Nakhalwa, Azazma, and Tiyaha voted at two polling stations at the town of Nakhl.

Members of the tribe of Riyashat walked for long distances from their village “Abu Tawila” to cast their ballots in their designated polling stations in Kawthar district in Sheikh Zuwayed city.

Yehia al-Abbadi Abu Riyash, a member of the Riyashat tribe, said he took he walked with his family from Abu Tawila, to Abu Zarei, Qawasma then Kawthar district. He waited in a line of voters then walked back home.

In Rawda Village, whose main mosque was attacked by terrorists last November and 311 civilians were killed, voters went to Al-Jarir School to cast their ballots. Many of the voters were widows and the mothers of the victims.


Al Jarir School in Rawda Village, North Sinai on March 28, 2018 - Picture handed out to Egypt Today
Top military and police officials visit polling stations

Chief of Staff Mohamed Farid Hegazy visited a number of polling stations in Ismailia, a Suez Canal governorate, to check on security procedures. He visited Mohamed Hassanein and Fatima al-Zahraa schools, and locals greeted him with “long live Egypt” chants.


Chief of Staff Mohamed Farid Hegazy talks to a man in a wheelchair near a polling station in Ismailia on March 28, 2018 - Mohamed Awad
Commander of the Air Defense Forces Ali Fahmy also visited polling stations in Aswan, south of Egypt, to make sure the electoral procedures are running smoothly.

In Giza, the commandant of the governorate General Mostafa Essam visited polling stations in Haram Street.


Commandant of Giza Mostafa Essam outside a polling station in Haram Street on March 28, 2018 - Amr Mostafa

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1 p.m.

National Election Authority appeals for voters

Deputy head of the National Election Authority Mahmoud al-Sherif called on registered voters to cast their ballots on the last day of the election before 9 p.m.

“I appeal to every citizen registered in the voter database and who has loyalty and a sense of belonging to this country to not leave it as a prey for the conspiracies of others. Egypt’s value is huge, and sympathy alone does not support Egypt. The country needs the votes of Egyptians," he told Extra News channel.

NEA has not taken any decision to extend the voting period to Thursday, said Sherif during a press conference

Sherif stressed that the authority should be the entity to announce the results of the election, warning media outlets against publishing results earlier than the NEA.

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12:30 p.m.

Crowds of voters in Cairo, Alexandria, Gharbia

Coalition of Egypt Support Observatory said in a Wednesday statement that women of Samannud village in Gharbia governorate, the Delta, flocked to their respective polling stations with Egyptian flags.


Voters in Ameriya, Alexandria on March 28, 2018 - Coalition of Egypt Support Observatory

Voters in Ameriya, Alexandria on March 28, 2018 - Coalition of Egypt Support Observatory
Meanwhile in Alexandria, the district of Ameriya witnessed intensive participation by all segments of the community, from women, youth, and the elderly.


Women outside a polling station in Samannud, Gharbia, in Egypt's Delta on March 28, 2018 - Coalition of Egypt Support Observatory

Women wait outside a polling station in Marg, Cairo to cast their ballots on March 28, 2018 - Ahmed Hosni

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11 a.m.

State Information Service continues to cooperate with foreign reporters

Egypt’s State Information Service (SIS) provided all foreign reporters, who were given permits to cover the presidential election, with all facilities during the electoral process, Head of the SIS’ election operation room Mohamed Imam said on Wednesday.

“We have not yet received any complaints (on the third day) and the election is going smoothly, so far...Also, the room has not yet monitored any violations or irregularities made by foreign media,” he said.

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10 a.m.

CEN-SAD praises cooperation of judges in the election

The delegation of the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) observing the Egyptian election said the National Election Authority (NEA) said it fully cooperated with the observers and organized workshops for them.

Eissa Abdel Rahman, director of the documentation department of documentation at CEN-SAD, told Egypt Today that security outside polling stations kept voters reassured, and that judges have been cooperative and answered all observers’ questions.

He added that ballot boxes were secured and well-sealed, and that the participation of women and the elderly have been significant. Parents brought their children to the election to entrench the idea of political participation in them, he continued.

CEN-SAD’s report on the election will be sent to the 24 member states. The organization sent 19 observers to Egypt, 15 of whom are ambassadors, presidential advisors and members of parliament.

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) also sent a delegation of 15 observers to Egypt.

Meanwhile, observers of the African Union visited polling stations in Zamalek, Cairo on Wednesday morning.

Observers from the African Union in a polling station in Zamalek on March 28, 2018 - photo handed out to Egypt Today

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9:55 a.m.

Villagers flock to vote, celebrations continue in Cairo

Significant turnout at the rural town of Hawamdiya in Giza has been noticed in the morning, as well as Abnoub town of Asyut, Upper Egypt.


A crowd of villagers in Abnoun

In Cairo, early risers of women lined up around Aziz Abaza polling station in Nasr City during the first hour of the vote on Wednesday.


A selfie taken outside a polling station in Shubra on March 28, 2018 - Karim Abdel Aziz
Meanwhile in Manial, Shubra, Cairo, celebrations continued outside polling stations, as voters dance to popular songs and wave the Egyptian flags.

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9:50 a.m.

People with special needs enjoy accessible election

A group of people with special needs organized a march from Assalam district in Cairo to Amr Ibn al-Aas School to cast their votes on Wednesday morning.


In Sohag, Upper Egypt, voters with disabilities flocked to polling stations on the last day of the vote.

Since the first day of the election, the turnout of disabled voters has been significant. Many polling stations have been equipped with wheelchairs, judges help blind people cast their votes, and security men help the elderly reach the polling station.

Two mute young voters pose for a picture outside a polling station on March 28, 2018 - Salah al-Rashidy
The National Council for Disability Affairs formed an operations room within its headquarters in Cairo in order to monitor the electoral process during the three polling days and receive complaints from voters with disabilities in all governorates.

A disabled man gives his ballot to a judge, who went out of the polling station at the Workers University in Cairo to help the man on March 28, 2018 - Mohamed al-Hosary

A girl with a visual disability votes in the presidential election on March 26, 2018 – Egypt Today/Mahmoud Maqboul

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9 a.m.

Third voting day in Egypt's presidential election kicks off

Polling stations across Egypt opened their doors to voters for the third and last day of the presidential election. Egyptians are choosing between the incumbent President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi and el-Ghad party chairperson Moussa Mostafa Moussa to rule the country for a four-year term.
Here is a live streaming of the second voting day