Egypt expatriates vote for president Friday, regulations announced

Wednesday 09-05-2012 05:08 PM
Egypt expatriates vote for president Friday, regulations announced

Egyptians abroad - Thomas Peters/Reuters

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Egypt’s Foreign Ministry has issued the regulations for presidential elections which start this Friday, May 11, with expatriates voting.

The polling of Egyptians abroad will continue until May 17 while Egyptians living at home are scheduled to vote on May 23-24.

The statement included the regulations to ensure the validity of polling stations (embassies, consulates, etc) where expatriates are registered to vote as set by the Presidential Elections Committee; ballot secrecy, appropriate number of ballot boxes and availability of voter records.  

The polling, which is scheduled to proceed for seven days, will start at 8am of everyday of the polling period (according to each country's local timing). An attorney of every candidate is to be present at each polling station to monitor the electoral process and note his observations. This attorney must be a registered voter who has been given power of attorney by the candidate, reported the Middle East News Agency.

Voters must be present at the polling station to cast their votes, in addition, they must bring their national identification cards and a certified document that proves their residence in the country, such as residence records, driver's license or a valid student card.

In order to vote by mail, voters are required to send their voting cards in a small envelope inside a large sealed envelope to the polling station (embassy, consulate, etc) where they are registered. The envelope must include a copy of the voter's national identification cards as well as a certified document that proves their residence in the country. A voter cannot substitute their national identification cards with their passports.

Polling stations are to close at 8pm at night where votes are then counted and ballot boxes are closed under the supervision of the head of branch.

The branch's head then announces the results to a Foreign Ministry general committee dedicated to the elections in the presence of candidates' attorneys, civil-organization representatives and press personnel. Copies of voter records are given to candidates' delegates.

After receiving all records, the general committee will transfer them to the Presidential Elections Committee.

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