Egyptian ambassadors reveal referendum turnout

CAIRO - 21 April 2019: Sunday marks the last day of voting for Egyptian expats in the referendum on draft constitutional amendments that started on April 19 in 124 countries with140 polling stations.

The following are the statements of Egypt’s ambassadors on the turnout.

Ambassador to Algeria Ayman Mosharafa said that the turnout on the second day of the referendum was high,explaining that the majority are expats working for Egyptian companies in Algeria.

Mosharafa added that workers, youth, and women had cast their ballots and that the turnout was high at noon and in the afternoon despite the cold weather and heavy rain.

Ambassador to the United States Yasser Reda attributed the high turnout on Saturday to the fact that is the first day of the weekend in the country. Reda revealed that many Expats drove for long hours to reach Egyptian consulates in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Houston. The ambassador added that Bishop Michael of Virginia had cast his ballot in the referendum.

Ambassador to Kuwait Tarek al-Kouny stated that the turnout was unprecedented in the second half of the second day when temperatures declined. Ambassador to New Zealand Tarek al-Wassimy said the members of the Egyptian community were eager to take part in the referendum.

Ambassador to Australia Mohamed Khairat said that Egyptian expats took part in the referendum remarkably over the weekend. The polling places were located in the embassy in Canberra, and in the consulates in Sydney, and Melbourne.

Ambassador to Iraq Alaa Mousa revealed that the turnout over the three days has been high, and that women have composed a remarkable share of voters. Ambassador to Morocco stated that a big number of Egyptian expats came from all cities to the embassy in Rabat to cast their ballots.

Ambassador to Germany Badr Abdel Aati said that members of the Egyptian community, particularly youth, were eager to cast their ballots.

Expat voters need to bring a valid Egyptian passport or an Egyptian national ID whether valid or expired as stated by the rules set by the National Elections Authority (NEA).

Resident Egyptians are invited to vote on April 20 - 22. The Parliament passed a draft to amend and add 25 articles to the Constitution. Those are mainly on the length of presidential terms, introduction of a senate, quotas in the House of Representatives, the selection mechanisms of courts' presidents, and the role of the Egyptian Armed Forces.

The electoral database includes 61, 344, 503 citizens, of which, 30,446,134 are women. The number of polling stations is 10,878. The voting process is observed by 15,324 judges, who are actually present in the polling places, and is administered by 120,000 employees.