Egyptian expats vote for second day in parliamentary elections

Egyptian expats will cast their ballots in the Egyptian parliamentary elections for the second day on Sunday at the country’s embassies and consulates around the world.

The polling stations at Egyptian missions are open from 9am until 9pm local time. Voting began on Saturday and will conclude on Sunday.

Polls within Egypt will be open on Sunday and Monday.

The first stage of the elections took place in October, and included voters in 14 of the country’s 27 governorates, as well as expats registered to vote in those governorates. In the second stage, voters registered in the remaining 13 governorates will head to the polls.

The overseeing body, the High Elections Committee, issued a statement on Saturday stating that as of 6pm Cairo local time, 18,500 expat voters had cast their ballots in the second stage.

In the first stage in October a total of 30,531 Egyptians abroad voted.

The number of Egyptian expats who are eligible to vote stands at 700,000, according to Egypt’s foreign ministry.

According to various estimations, there are 8 million Egyptian citizens living abroad.

The incoming parliament will be made up of 596 MPs: 448 elected as individuals and 120 through winner-take-all party lists. The remaining 5 percent of the MPs will be appointed by the president.

Of the 120 seats allotted for the party lists, eight will be held by Egyptian expats–the first time those living aboad are given a quota in the chamber.

source: Ahram online