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Egypt’s 2014 Presidential elections kick off

May 26, 2014
Egyptian women outside a polling station on May 26. Credit: Amir Makar/Aswat Masriya

Egyptians have started queuing across the country to vote on the country’s next President in the two-day Presidential elections.

Polling stations opened at 9AM local time across the country, yet many Egyptians had already started queuing hours in advance.

The two Presidential contenders, Former Military Chief Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi and Nasserist politician Hamdeen Sabahi, cast their ballots shortly after voting commenced.

Voting is expected to close at 9PM on May 27, with results announced by June 5. Follow our live blog below:

Important Updates:

– More than 14,000 polling stations have been operating across the country.

– The second day of voting, Tuesday 27 of May, has been declared a holiday for more than six million government employees.

– At least 3.2 million voters have cast their ballots so far (as of 1:00PM local time), stated the Presidential Elections Committee.

– Egypt’s Ministry of Interior has denied earlier reports by state media that a bomb exploded outside a polling station in El-Mahalla El-Kubra. Other reports of explosions in Fayoum have not been confirmed.

– Two explosive devices have been defused in Giza outside two polling stations, reported police authorities.

– Clashes reported in Kerdasa and Umraneya between security forces and Pro-Muslim Brotherhood protesters.

– Sisi, Sabahi, Egypt’s Interim President Mansour, Coptic Pope Tawadros II and Egypt’s Grand Mufti have all cast their ballots so far.

Reported violations:

– The campaign of Presidential Candidate Hamdeen Sabahi says three of its members were arrested in Suez, Ismailia and Qalubiya.

– Some polling stations, notably in Assiut, opened later than scheduled due to late arrivals of judges.

– Polling stations across Egypt shut down despite people waiting in line to vote. The Elections Committee stated ‘We cannot keep judges at the polling stations all night.’ Many voters have expressed anger.

– The Egyptian Association to Support Democracy reported some stations lacked phosphoric ink (to indicate you voted) and the absence of voting rolls.

Comments (16)

  1. Bystanding Witness says:

    Just heard the news that within the first 2 hours some 3.28 MIO people casted their votes!!! BRAVO!
    Al Jazeera: STOP spreading your lies and start playing fair again like you used to. You were known as a good reference … why not try to re-gain that reputation?

  2. Bystanding Witness says:

    WOW – what a day! Just came back accompanying friends who went voting – everybody is excited even if they have to stand in line for hours. What a great spirit! Many women wear the national colors; either in dresses or (some Muslim women) they wear a triple color hijab. Many make time and again the “zahrouta”, then clap their hands and start singing “Tesslam el ayadi”. It’s like one big party defying the threats of the Muslim Brotherhood. What great ladies and equally great men Egypt has.
    Watched Al Jazeera Arabic – LOLOLOLOL!! They have people calling in swearing to Allah (!!!) that they have toured the town (of Helwan, Mahalla, down town Cairo, etc.) and that there is not one single person in any of the voting stations!! They even go that far on Al Jazeera Arabic to claim that the life pictures/videos showed on all the other private and state owned chanels are from earlier elections!!! Hahahaha, with Al Sissi’s picture everywhere!?!?!? Al Jazeera should be re-named in to Al Muslim Brotherhood; they have become a stain of embarassment.

    Forward Egyptian people – play your cards right and the future will be yours!!!!!

    Long live Egypt, its people and the new President!!!