NEA Confirms Smooth Voting Process for Egyptians Abroad in Phase Two of Parliamentary Elections

The National Election Authority (NEA) confirmed on Friday the smooth and orderly progress of voting by Egyptians abroad in the second phase of the House of Representatives elections, reporting no complaints or obstacles hindering expatriate voters.

During a press conference held at the NEA’s central operations room, Counselor Ahmed Bendari, Director of the Authority’s Executive Body, announced that 105 overseas polling stations have already commenced operations out of a total of 139 stations across 117 countries. All opened at 9:00 a.m. local time in their respective host nations.

Bendari added that the remaining 34 polling stations will open progressively as local time zones reach the designated hour. The Egyptian Consulate General in Los Angeles will be the final station to open its doors, corresponding to 7:00 p.m. Cairo time.

He urged Egyptians residing abroad, whose home constituencies fall within the second phase of the elections, to actively participate by heading to their designated polling centers and casting their votes for the candidates they deem fit.

Bendari also commended the strong coordination between the NEA and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, praising the facilitation efforts undertaken to support the voting process abroad.

Ambassador Nabil Habashy, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the ongoing cooperation with the NEA reflects a sustained commitment to ensuring the success of overseas electoral processes and safeguarding the constitutional rights of Egyptian voters abroad. He expressed appreciation for the significant efforts made by Egypt’s ambassadors and diplomatic staff worldwide.

Throughout the day, Bendari conducted multiple video conference check-ins with ambassadors and consuls presiding over polling stations. They confirmed that voting began on schedule and has been proceeding calmly and efficiently.

According to diplomatic officials, particularly in several Arab countries—polling stations witnessed noticeable turnout in the morning, with expectations of higher participation after Friday prayers. In other countries where Friday is a regular working day, officials anticipate increased turnout after working hours and on Saturday, which is an official weekend in many regions.

The second phase of the parliamentary elections covers 13 governorates: Cairo, Qalyubia, Dakahlia, Menoufia, Gharbia, Kafr El-Sheikh, Sharqia, Damietta, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, North Sinai, and South Sinai.

A total of 34.6 million eligible voters are registered for this phase. The race includes 1,316 individual candidates competing for 141 seats, in addition to one party list contesting seats allocated to the list-based system.