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. 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. 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. 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. 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 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. 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. 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.
On the final day of the election, Egypt's National Election Authority says it will fine abstaining voters.