Voting kicks off in Egypts presidential election

Voting kicks off in Egypts presidential election

Voting for Egypt’s presidential election began at 9:00 a.m. local time (1100 GMT) on Sunday in Egypt.

Voting, which runs from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. local time, is spread over three days, with results due to be announced on December 18.

Overseas Egyptian voters had already cast their ballots from Dec. 1 to Dec. 3.

Critics see the election as a sham after a decadelong crackdown on dissent. The government’s media body has called it a step towards political pluralism.

Three candidates qualified to stand against el-Sissi in the election, none of them high-profile figures. The most prominent potential challenger halted his run in October, saying officials and thugs had targeted his supporters — accusations dismissed by the national election authority.

Authorities and commentators on tightly controlled local media have been urging Egyptians to turn out to vote, though some people said they were unaware when the election was taking place in the days before the poll. Others said voting would make little difference.