Egyptians to start casting their ballots in senate elections all over the country, Tuesday

CAIRO – 10 August 2020:  The Egyptian Senate elections expected to kick off, Tuesday August 11 and continue for two following days starting from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. in 14,000 sub-committees [polling stations] under the supervision of more than 18,000 judges all over the country.

63 million Egyptian are legally eligible to vote in the elections which is held in Egypt for the first time since approving the senate re-establishment law in the constitutional amendments that were passed in 2019.

For the past 196 years in Egypt’s political history, the senate has been established and suspended for many times; the last time was in 2014 constitution which restricted the legislative role only to the House of representatives and abolished the Senate.

In the approved 2019 constitutional amendments, Egyptians gave the green light for the Senate reestablishment once again into the political life.

On June 17, Egypt’s House of Representatives approved officially, a bill on establishing the Senate. The draft law submitted by MP Abdel Hadi al-Qasabi, head of Support Egypt Coalition, was approved by nearly two-thirds majority of members of Parliament, while only four MPs refused it.

According to the passed bill then, the Senate will be made up of 300 members, with one third to be elected through the individual system, the second third through the closed list system, and the last third to be named by the president.

About 787 candidates in 27 districts expected to be competing, Tuesday in the individual system, while one list will be elected for each of the four districts assigned to the individual system, in order to choose 200 members for the new Senate by direct secret ballot system, including 100 members by the individual system and 100 by the list system.

All needed measures were taken to ensure safety for all voters during casting their ballots according to The National Election Authority to avoid the spread of Coronavirus.

Egyptian expatriates started voting in 124 countries, via mail on Sunday. The voters were not allowed to go to the embassies in the countries where they live to cast their ballots.

NEA decision has taken into consideration the restrictions and precautionary measures taken in most countries in light of the coronavirus pandemic, which would hinder the Egyptian voters’ attendance at the embassies’ premises.

 Egyptian expats living abroad are casting their ballots on August 9-10.

Speaking to MENA, Egypt’s ambassador to Algeria Ayman Mesharafa said that all Egyptians, who have valid passport or national ID and registered in the voters' lists, are entitled to cast their ballots in the elections.