CAIRO, Oct. 30 (Aswat Masriya) - The Supreme Electoral Commission (SEC) announced Friday that the turnout rate of run-offs in the first phase of legislative elections was 21.71 percent down from 26.56 percent in round one, with 5,554,678 of 25,582,518 eligible voters going to the polls.

The run-offs were held in 99 constituencies instead of 103 because polling was postponed in four constituencies to an undisclosed date based on a court ruling cancelling the results in one constituency each in Beheira and Alexandria and in two others in Beni Suef.

This cancellation explains why the number of eligible voters went down from 27.4 million to around 25.5 million in the run-off.

According to the head of SEC Ayman Abbas, the highest number of votes was recorded in Marsa Matrouh where 33.45 percent registered voters cast their ballots.

The lowest turnout, said Abbas at a press conference, was in Alexandria where only 14.83 percent of eligible voters turned up.

Abbas explained that a total of 273 candidates won seats in the first phase of House of Parliament Elections including five women, 12 youth (under 35 years old), 108 member of various parties, 105 independent candidates and 60 who won seats through the lists system, all of whom ran on “For the Love of Egypt” list.

Only four of the 2,548 candidates running for individual seats in phase one, managed to clinch a seat in the first round, winning 50+1 percent of the votes in their constituencies.

The turnout rate of the first phase was 26.56 percent, of a total of 27.4 million eligible voters.

According to SEC the overall turnout rate for phase one is 26.69 percent.

International and local media outlets noted the low turnout rate and the general voter apathy, especially among youth.

The first phase and its run-offs covered 14 provinces including Giza, Fayoum, Beni Suef, Minya, Assiut, New Valley, Sohag, Qena, Luxor, Aswan, Red Sea, Alexandria, Beheira and Matrouh.

The second phase of the elections will cover 13 provinces including Cairo.

The total number of voters in the second phase is around 28 million voters who will go to the polls on Nov. 21-23.