Voters lining up at a polling place to cast their ballots in the referendum on draft constitutional amendments. April 22, 2019.
CAIRO - 22 April 2019: The third and last day of voting on draft constitutional amendments domestically has kicked off while casting ballots for expats was concluded on Sunday.
Voting for expats was held on April 19 - 21 in 140 polling places located in 124 countries where members of the Egyptian communities were able to cast their ballots between 9:00 and 21:00 in each country’s local time.
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 places is 10,878. The voting process is observed by 15,324 judges, who are actually present in the polling places, and administered by 120,000 employees.
The NEA has dismissed a rumor claiming that the voting would be extended for a fourth day.
Here is the live update on the referendum process:
Official statements
Deputy Chairman and Spokesperson of NEA Judge Mahmoud Helmy Sherif stated that the turnout was high, and that no complaints regarding the referendum process have been submitted so far. Sherif added that the referendum is observed by 22 international organizations and entities including 14 embassies, the European Union, and the Arab League. That is in addition to 58 local organizations.
Chairman of the Press Center at the State Information Service (SIS) Mohamed Imam said that no complaints have been submitted by any of the foreign reporters accredited by the center. Imam clarifies that there is no single reporter of those has been banned from doing their job or entering the polling places or reporting on the referendum process.
The NEA Press Conference
Judge Sherif stated that the results of expats’ voting were received by the NEA from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday as the diplomatic envoys do the sorting at the embassies.
Polling places
Queues of voters at polling places across the country have been building up.
Greater Cairo
Citizens are turning out at a polling place in Cairo’s Garden City.
Citizens are turning out at a polling place in Cairo’s Rawd El Farag.
Citizens are turning out at polling places in Giza’s Awsim and Warraq.
Long queues are seen in front of Talaat Harb School in Shampoleon Street. Young voters make up a remarkable portion of the line.
Citizens are turning out at polling places in Cairo’s Gamaleya.
Long queues are seen in front of a polling place in Bab Al Sheareya. Young voters make up a remarkable portion of the line.
Long queues of young voters are seen in front of Workers University in Nasr City.
Long queue of voters at a polling place located in Ramses Railway Station
Governorates
The Kharga Municipal Authority in New Valley governorate has secured a shuttle bus to transport the residents of the remote oasis to polling places, and back to their home free of charge.
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