Egyptian voters will head to the ballot boxes nationwide on Monday and Tuesday to choose their representatives for the upcoming session of the Senate from among 428 candidates.
From 9 AM to 9 PM, eligible Egyptian voters will head to 8,286 polling stations across all governorates, according to the National Elections Authority (NEA).
A total of 9,500 judges from the State Lawsuits Authority and the Administrative Prosecution Authority will oversee the Senate elections, supervising subcommittees nationwide. Notably, 2,500 of these judges are women, marking a significant milestone for female representation in judicial electoral oversight.
In a notable step toward inclusivity, the NEA has introduced ballots in both sign language and Braille, enabling visually and hearing-impaired voters to cast their votes independently for the first time. Heads of subcommittees have been instructed to assist with requests while ensuring the secrecy and integrity of the voting process.
Egyptians abroad concluded their voting on Saturday at 136 polling stations across 117 countries.
According to the NEA, 428 candidates are competing for individual seats, including 186 independents and 242 affiliated with political parties.
Under the list-based system, a single electoral list—The National List for the Sake of Egypt—is running unopposed in all designated constituencies.
The Senate was reinstated following the 2019 constitutional referendum. Under the 2022 amendments to the electoral law, the chamber now comprises 300 members: two-thirds elected by direct public vote and one-third appointed by the president. At least 10 percent of seats are reserved for women.
Preliminary figures show that four political parties—Mostaqbal Watan (Nation’s Future), the Unified Front, Homat Watan (Protectors of the Nation), and the People’s Republican Party—are collectively fielding approximately 303 individual candidates.
Opposition parties such as the Justice Party, the Egyptian Democratic Party, and the Reform and Development Party are also participating in the individual race with their own nominees.
The National Unified List, the sole party list in the elections, is led by Mostaqbal Watan and represents a coalition of 12 political parties. Mostaqbal Watan is fielding 44 candidates, followed by Homat Watan with 19, and the National Front with 12.
The remaining participating parties—including the People’s Republican Party, Egyptian Democratic Party, Reform and Development Party, Justice Party, Wafd Party, Tagammu Party, Generation’s Will Party, Freedom Party, and Congress Party—are each represented by five or fewer candidates on the list.
Final results will be announced on 12 August. If a runoff is required, campaigning will resume on the same day the first-round results are announced. Appeals against the NEA’s announcement must be submitted within 48 hours, with the final deadline being Thursday, 14 August.
The Supreme Administrative Court will rule on any appeals between 15 and 24 August, with the electoral silence period for the runoff beginning on 24 August.
Runoff voting for Egyptians abroad will take place on Monday and Tuesday, 25 and 26 August, followed by domestic runoff voting on Wednesday and Thursday, 27 and 28 August. Final runoff results will be announced on Thursday, 4 September.
Source: Ahram Online
