Polling stations at Egyptian embassies and consulates across 117 countries opened their doors on Friday 1 August for Egyptians abroad to cast their votes in the 2025 Senate elections.
This global voting process, set to continue through Saturday, marks the beginning of a tightly organized electoral timeline outlined by Egypt’s National Elections Authority (NEA).
The first ballots were cast in New Zealand, where polling stations opened at midnight Cairo time due to the time zone difference. The final overseas polls are scheduled to open in Los Angeles, USA, completing a 48-hour international voting window that spans five continents.
According to the NEA, 136 polling stations have been set up worldwide to accommodate Egypt’s expatriate community, including locations in countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Tunisia, and India. Voters abroad are required to present a valid national ID or passport bearing their national number, and the voting hours are set from 9 AM to 9 PM local time with a one-hour break. Special provisions are in place for people with disabilities and fully veiled women, ensuring a smooth and inclusive process.
A central operations room was established in Cairo to monitor the overseas voting process in real time, coordinating with diplomatic missions and ensuring adherence to electoral protocols. The NEA has emphasized that these measures reflect the government’s commitment to strong citizen engagement, regardless of geographic location.
Senate’s Role and Electoral Structure
The 2025 Senate elections are the second elections since the chamber was reinstated through constitutional amendments passed in 2019. The Senate, Egypt’s upper house of parliament, holds advisory powers, with responsibilities including reviewing draft legislation, state development plans, public policy issues, and international treaties. However, it does not have legislative authority, which remains solely in the hands of the House of Representatives.
The chamber consists of 300 members: one-third elected through individual candidacy, one-third via closed party lists, and one-third appointed by the president. The law mandates that at least 10 percent of seats be held by women, and senators serve five-year terms.
Compared to the 2020 elections, the 2025 race has seen a notable reduction in candidate numbers. A total of 428 candidates are competing for the 100 individual seats, down from around 760 five years ago. These include 186 independents and 242 affiliated with political parties.
On the party-list front, a single coalition, the National Unified List (NUL), is contesting all list-based seats. Dominated by the pro-government Mostaqbal Watan (Nation’s Future Party), the list includes 12 parties such as Homat Watan (Protectors of the Nation), the People’s Republican Party, and the Wafd Party. High-profile figures like Mohamed Al-Morshedi and Ahmed Abu Hashima, the famous businessmen, are among the candidates.
Opposition participation remains limited but present, with parties like the Justice Party and Egyptian Democratic Party fielding candidates in the individual race. The final candidate list was confirmed on 18 July, and the official campaign period ended on 31 July with the start of the electoral silence.
Elections Timeline
Voters will cast two ballots, one for an individual candidate and another for a party list. Domestic voting will take place on Sunday and Monday, 3–4 August. Once ballots are cast, they are sealed, stored, and counted under strict supervision. Overseas votes are sent to Cairo through diplomatic channels for integration into the national tally.
The NEA will announce official results on 12 August. If no clear winners emerge, runoff elections will be held later in August, both inside Egypt and abroad. The runoff schedule includes overseas voting on 25–26 August, domestic voting on 27–28 August, and final results by 4 September.
According to Egyptian electoral law, even in cases where a single candidate or list is unopposed in a district, they must still secure at least 5 percent of the registered vote to be declared the winner.
Egyptians abroad have started voting in the 2025 Senate elections. With domestic voting up next, the results will soon show who will join the new Senate for the next five years.
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