Cairo: Egyptians will elect a new legislature in two phases, with the first covering half of the country’s 27 provinces to be held next month, state media reported today.
An electoral commission has requested parliamentary hopefuls to start registering their candidacy from September 17 for nine days.
The first phase of the vote will begin on October 21 when Egyptian expatriates cast their ballots over three consecutive days. Egyptians at home in 14 provinces will vote on October 24-25. A run-off vote has been scheduled for November 23-24, the election commission’s head Lasheen Ebrahim head said.
The second phase of the polls will be conducted in 13 other cities, including Cairo, on November 7-8 with the run-off vote slated for December 7-8.
The polls will be held amid strict precautions against the coronavirus, Ebrahim said. They include sterilising polling stations before and after voting, keeping safe distancing and mandatory wearing of protective face masks.
The election of the legislature or the House of Deputies for a five-year mandate comes after Egypt reinstated an upper house that was elected last month. The reinstatement of the Senate was part of constitutional amendments endorsed in a public vote last year.
