Egypt will extend voting in the final day of a presidential election by one hour to 10 p.m. (2000 GMT) on Wednesday, state news agency MENA quoted the election commission as saying.



Polls have been open every day since Monday in a vote which is set to hand President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi a landslide win for a second term.</s>CAIRO—Egypt’s Abdel Fattah Al Sisi is set to be to re-elected as the country’s president, winning about 90% of the vote based on initial results, the country’s state news agency reported Thursday.

The early returns marked the conclusion of an election in which Mr. Sisi’s major opponents were jailed and sidelined and in which voters were enticed to the polls with offers of food and cash and threatened with a fine for not participating.</s></s>CAIRO—Egypt’s Abdel Fattah Al Sisi is set to be to re-elected as the country’s president, winning about 90% of the vote based on initial results, the country’s state news agency reported Thursday.

The early returns marked the conclusion of an election in which Mr. Sisi’s major opponents were jailed and sidelined and in which voters were enticed to the polls with offers of food and cash and threatened with a fine for not participating.</s>Egyptian authorities have warned people to vote or risk paying a fine as they look to boost turnout in a lacklustre election that is virtually guaranteed to hand President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi a second four-year term.

Egyptian authorities have warned people to vote or risk paying a fine as they look to boost turnout in a lacklustre election that is virtually guaranteed to hand President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi a second four-year term.

All eyes on turnout as Egypt votes on final day of election

Serious challengers were forced out or arrested, including former prime minister Ahmed Shafiq, who showed up late on Tuesday at a polling centre to cast his ballot. It was his first public appearance since he announced his intention to run in December from the United Arab Emirates, where he had gone after narrowly losing the 2012 election to the Islamist Mohammed Morsi.

The UAE deported Mr Shafiq after the announcement, and he was met at the Cairo airport by unidentified security men who escorted him to a hotel on the city’s outskirts. He decided against running soon thereafter.

On Tuesday, he told reporters that voting was a “national duty”, without elaborating. The government is hoping for a high turnout to lend the election legitimacy, and has staggered the voting over three days, with polls closing on Wednesday at 9pm (1900 GMT).

Official results are expected on April 2. The state-news agency MENA quoted unnamed election officials as saying that the law penalises boycotters, with a fine of around 30 US dollars (£21).

Turnout appears to be low so far, with short lines in front of some polling stations and others virtually empty. Mr El-Sissi’s only opponent is Moussa Mustafa Moussa, a little-known politician who supports the president and made no effort to campaign against him.

Local media, which are dominated by pro-government commentators, have urged people to come out and vote, saying they have a national obligation to resist foreign plots aimed at sowing discord. Groups of loyalists can be seen clapping and dancing in front of some polling stations, as patriotic music plays from loudspeakers.

A soldier stands guard in front of a polling station during the second day of the presidential in Cairo (Amr Nabil/AP) Outside a polling station in Cairo’s Manial neighbourhood, about two dozen voters, mainly older people, lined up in front of the gates shortly before polls opened. “I am here because I need security and stability,” said 44-year-old government employee Amina el-Sayed. She said her manager gave her and her colleagues a day off to vote. Sayada Fathi, a 62-year-old voter, said she was not bothered by the lack of competition.</s>Serious challengers were forced out or arrested, including former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq, who showed up late Tuesday at a polling centre to cast his ballot. It was his first public appearance since he announced his intention to run in December from the United Arab Emirates, where he had gone after narrowly losing the 2012 election to the Islamist Mohammed Morsi.

El-Sissi faces only a token opponent in the vote, which resembles the referendums held by autocrats for decades before the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011 briefly raised hopes of democratic change.

CAIRO—Egyptian election authorities have warned people to vote or risk paying a fine, as they look to boost turnout in a lacklustre election that is virtually guaranteed to hand President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi a second four-year term.

The government is hoping for high turnout to lend the election legitimacy, and has staggered the voting over three days, with polls closing Wednesday at 9 p.m.. Official results are expected on April 2.

The UAE deported Shafiq after the announcement, and he was met at the Cairo airport by unidentified security men who escorted him to a hotel on the city’s outskirts. He decided against running soon thereafter. On Tuesday, he told reporters that voting was a “national duty,” without elaborating.

The National Election Authority said in a statement Wednesday it will enforce a law penalizing boycotters with a fine of around $30 (U.S.). Similar warnings have been issued in previous elections, with no real enforcement.

Nearly 60 million Egyptians are eligible to vote at some 13,700 polling centres. El-Sissi won 96.9 per cent of the vote in 2014, with an official turnout of more than 47 per cent. In the 2012 election, which witnessed heightened competition between Islamists and opponents, turnout reached 52 per cent.

In the polling centres this year, turnout appeared low over the first two days of voting then started to gain momentum by midday Wednesday, with short lines in front of some polling stations. El-Sissi’s only opponent is Moussa Mustafa Moussa, a little-known politician who supports the president and made no effort to campaign against him.

Mahmoud el-Sherif, the spokesperson of the election commission, said Wednesday at a press conference that the highest turnout was in Cairo, the Mediterranean port city of Alexandria, and in northern Sinai, the epicenter of an insurgency by Islamic militants.

In Cairo’s heavily populated, middle-class district of Shubra, a trickle of voters, mainly older women, could be seen outside two polling stations. Judges supervising the polling centres said that of 7,800 registered voters, some 3,000 cast ballots, or around 38 per cent. In a nearby polling centre the turnout reached 34 per cent, according to figures provided by the judges.

Saadia Ali, a housewife and mother of five, said she came because she hopes things get better. “Just tell them that our houses are collapsing and on my street they are not doing anything to fix it,” she said.

Some el-Sissi supporters are suggesting that he should consider amending the constitution to remain president for life.

Ashraf Ahmed, a 50-year-old ceramic sculptor, said while smoking shisha in a cafe: “I have only one wish and if accomplished, I will be very happy. I wish that the next step is to change the constitution so he can run for a third, forth, fifth and forever.”

El-Sissi has said that he is not in favour of amending constitutional provisions barring the president from staying in office beyond two, four-year-terms. Several pro-government lawmakers and media figures promoted the proposed amendments to allow el-Sissi to stay in office beyond eight years.

At Saleh Hamad school in Shubra, at least 3,500 of 12,000 eligible voters cast their votes by midday, or about 29 per cent, polling judges there said. Christians, strong supporters of el-Sissi for challenging Islamists, make up a large portion of voters in the district. They constitute around 10 per cent of Egypt’s predominantly Muslim population.

Father Marcus Ibrahim, a Coptic Christian priest who brought his son with him, said the church told worshippers to go and vote without supporting a certain candidate.

“This is the only way for change. It’s slow but it will happen as long as we keep participating. I brought my son and told him to sign the ballot and drop it in the box so he gets used to it.

Local media, which are dominated by pro-government commentators, have urged people to come out and vote, saying they have a national obligation to resist foreign plots aimed at sowing discord. Groups of loyalists can be seen clapping and dancing in front of some polling stations, as patriotic music plays from loudspeakers.

Outside a polling station in Cairo’s Manial neighbourhood, about two dozen voters, mainly older people, lined up in front of the gates shortly before polls opened.

Sayada Fathi, a 62-year-old voter, said she wasn’t bothered by the lack of competition.

“Our beloved el-Sissi will win easily,” she said.</s>CAIRO -- Egyptians began voting Monday in an election that virtually guaranteed another term for President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, who faced only a token opponent in balloting that resembled the referendums held by autocrats for decades before the Arab Spring briefly raised hopes of democratic change.

El-Sissi's only challenger was Moussa Mustafa Moussa, a little-known politician who joined the race at the last minute to spare the government a one-candidate election after several hopefuls were forced out or arrested.

Authorities hope enough of Egypt's nearly 60 million eligible voters will participate in the three-day election to give it legitimacy. Local media, which are dominated by pro-government commentators, have portrayed voting as a national obligation and the only way to prevent foreigners from sowing instability.

There were only modest lines at most polling places Monday, and some were empty for most of the day.

Officials overseeing four polling centers in the greater Cairo area said turnout hovered around a lowly 7 percent by 6 p.m. there, three hours before their scheduled close for the day. They said they expected a dramatic increase on the final day Wednesday.

El-Sissi, a general who led the 2013 military overthrow of Egypt's first freely elected president, the Islamist Mohammed Morsi, voted at a school in the Cairo suburb of Heliopolis as soon as the polls opened at 9 a.m. He made no comment before heading for a meeting with his campaign team.

Moussa, who supported el-Sissi until he joined the race, made no effort to mount a challenge, and the president never mentioned him once in public.

Replying to a reporter's question about his chances of winning, Moussa said: "It all depends on your prayers and your votes."

Some potential candidates might have attracted a sizable protest vote, but they were all either arrested or intimidated into withdrawing, making this the least competitive election since the 2011 uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak.

The vote came amid the harshest crackdown on dissent in Egypt's modern history, with thousands of Islamists as well as several prominent secular activists in jail. Unauthorized protests are banned, most critical voices in the Egyptian media have been silenced, and hundreds of websites, including those of independent media and rights groups, have been blocked.

"I am not participating in this show because we all know who will win the vote," said Ahmed, a gas station attendant in Cairo's twin city of Giza.

"Nobody dares to speak up anymore, and if I go out and protest, I will either be killed with a bullet or thrown in jail," said the 30-year-old, who asked that only his first name be used because of those fears.

The national election commission reported a large turnout in Cairo, Alexandria and northern Sinai, the epicenter of an insurgency led by the Islamic State group, but gave no figures. Pro-government media dubbed the vote a "democratic feast."

Retired engineer Mohammed Ibrahim Ali patiently waited for the polls to open in Cairo's bustling Sayda Zeinab neighborhood, home to a famous Islamic shrine.

"Even if there are 1,000 candidates, we will vote for el-Sissi," he said, struggling to be heard over patriotic songs blaring from speakers. "He is the one who makes life great here."

Ahmed Abdel-Atti, a 58-year-old doorman in the same neighborhood, voiced skepticism.

"Do you see any other candidates?" he asked.

Many Egyptians had welcomed the military overthrow of Morsi, whose divisive rule had brought mass protests, and the subsequent crackdown on the Brotherhood. For a time, el-Sissi enjoyed a wave of popular support, but that aura has faded in the past four years.

In the Sinai Peninsula, the insurgency that gained strength after Morsi's overthrow has only grown more ferocious, with regular attacks on security forces and deadly church bombings.

Meanwhile, the government has enacted a series of economic overhauls, including subsidy cuts and the flotation of the currency. That improved the investment climate and earned Egypt a $12 billion bailout loan from the International Monetary Fund. But the austerity measures sent prices soaring, exacting a heavy toll on ordinary Egyptians.

"I was a wholehearted [el-Sissi] supporter, but not anymore," said a man who recently lost his job in a telecommunications company and now works at a Cairo gas station. "Yes, there are big projects, but he takes from us, the poor, not from them, the rich. We are the people who are living day to day."

He also asked that his full name not be used, fearing trouble from authorities.</s>Egyptian authorities have warned people to vote or risk paying a fine, as they look to boost turnout in a lackluster election that is virtually guaranteed to hand President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi a second four-year term.

El-Sissi faces only a token opponent in the vote, which resembles the referendums held by autocrats for decades before the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011 briefly raised hopes of democratic change.

Serious challengers were forced out or arrested, including former Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq, who showed up late Tuesday at a polling center to cast his ballot. It was his first public appearance since he announced his intention to run in December from the United Arab Emirates, where he had gone after narrowly losing the 2012 election to the Islamist Mohammed Morsi.

The UAE deported Shafiq after the announcement, and he was met at the Cairo airport by unidentified security men who escorted him to a hotel on the city's outskirts. He decided against running soon thereafter. On Tuesday, he told reporters that voting was a "national duty," without elaborating.

The government is hoping for high turnout to lend the election legitimacy, and has staggered the voting over three days, with polls closing Wednesday at 9 p.m. (1900 GMT). Official results are expected on April 2.

The National Election Authority said in a statement Wednesday it will enforce a law penalizing boycotters with a fine of around $30. Similar warnings have been issued in previous elections, with no real enforcement.

Nearly 60 million Egyptians are eligible to vote at some 13,700 polling centers.

Turnout appears to be low so far, with short lines in front of some polling stations and others virtually empty. El-Sissi's only opponent is Moussa Mustafa Moussa, a little-known politician who supports the president and made no effort to campaign against him.

Local media, which are dominated by pro-government commentators, have urged people to come out and vote, saying they have a national obligation to resist foreign plots aimed at sowing discord. Groups of loyalists can be seen clapping and dancing in front of some polling stations, as patriotic music plays from loudspeakers.

Outside a polling station in Cairo's Manial neighborhood, about two dozen voters, mainly older people, lined up in front of the gates shortly before polls opened.

"I am here because I need security and stability," said 44-year-old government employee Amina el-Sayed. She said her manager gave her and her colleagues a day off to vote.

Sayada Fathi, a 62-year-old voter, said she wasn't bothered by the lack of competition.

"Our beloved el-Sissi will win easily," she said.

In Cairo's heavily populated, working-class district of Shubra, a trickle of voters, mainly older women, could be seen outside two polling stations.

Judges supervising the polling centers said that out of 7,800 registered voters, some 3,000 cast ballots, or around 38 percent.

In a nearby polling center the turnout reached 34 percent, according to figures provided by the judges.

El-Sissi won 96.9 percent of the vote in 2014, with official turnout of more than 47 percent.

Saadia Ali, a housewife and mother of five, said she came because she hopes things get better. "Just tell them that our houses are collapsing and on my street they are not doing anything to fix it.

"Why didn't they have more than one candidate?" she asked, after casting her vote.

At Saleh Hamad school in Shubra, only 3,500 of 12,000 eligible voters cast their votes by midday, or about 29 percent, polling judges there said. Christians make up a large portion of voters in the district. They constitute around 10 percent of Egypt's predominantly Muslim population.

Father Marcus Ibrahim, a Coptic Christian priest who brought his son with him, said the church told worshippers to go and vote without supporting a certain candidate.

"This is the only way for change. It's slow but it will happen as long as we keep participating. I brought my son and told him to sign the ballot and drop it in the box so he gets used to it.

"If there were more than one strong candidate, it would have been different for sure," he said.</s>Voters in Egypt have less than an hour to cast their ballots in the presidential election or risk a fine. It is the third and final day of voting, but authorities are concerned that turnout has been low, even though people are being offered money to cast their ballots.</s>Egyptian authorities have warned people to vote or risk paying a fine as they look to boost turnout in a lacklustre election that is virtually guaranteed to hand President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi a second four-year term.

Mr El-Sissi faces only a token opponent in the vote, which resembles the referenda held by autocrats for decades before the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011 briefly raised hopes of democratic change.

Serious challengers were forced out or arrested, including former prime minister Ahmed Shafiq, who showed up late on Tuesday at a polling centre to cast his ballot.

It was his first public appearance since he announced his intention to run in December from the United Arab Emirates, where he had gone after narrowly losing the 2012 election to the Islamist Mohammed Morsi.

The UAE deported Mr Shafiq after the announcement, and he was met at the Cairo airport by unidentified security men who escorted him to a hotel on the city’s outskirts.

He decided against running soon thereafter.

On Tuesday, he told reporters that voting was a “national duty”, without elaborating.

The government is hoping for a high turnout to lend the election legitimacy, and has staggered the voting over three days, with polls closing on Wednesday at 9pm (1900 GMT).

Official results are expected on April 2.

The state-news agency MENA quoted unnamed election officials as saying that the law penalises boycotters, with a fine of around 30 US dollars (£21).

Similar warnings have been issued in previous elections, with no real enforcement.

Nearly 60 million Egyptians are eligible to vote at some 13,700 polling centres.

Turnout appears to be low so far, with short lines in front of some polling stations and others virtually empty.

Mr El-Sissi’s only opponent is Moussa Mustafa Moussa, a little-known politician who supports the president and made no effort to campaign against him.

Local media, which are dominated by pro-government commentators, have urged people to come out and vote, saying they have a national obligation to resist foreign plots aimed at sowing discord.

Groups of loyalists can be seen clapping and dancing in front of some polling stations, as patriotic music plays from loudspeakers.

Outside a polling station in Cairo’s Manial neighbourhood, about two dozen voters, mainly older people, lined up in front of the gates shortly before polls opened.

“I am here because I need security and stability,” said 44-year-old government employee Amina el-Sayed. She said her manager gave her and her colleagues a day off to vote.

Sayada Fathi, a 62-year-old voter, said she was not bothered by the lack of competition.

“Our beloved el-Sissi will win easily,” she said.
On the final day of the election, Egypt's National Election Authority says it will fine abstaining voters.