Polling stations opened at 9am on Wednesday for the third consecutive day for voters to cast their ballots in presidential elections.
Presidential Elections Commission (PEC) decided on Tuesday evening to extend the voting process until Wednesday due to the low turnout, which was blamed on the high temperature and problems of voters who live in places other than those recorded in their ID cards.
Number of eligible voters reach 53,909,306 who have the right to vote at 14,000 polling stations.
PEC will declare final results of the elections after challenges are filed and ballots are counted by 5 June maximum.
Electoral campaigns of the two presidential hopefuls Hamdeen Sabbahi and Abdel Fattah al-Sisi refused on Tuesday the extension of the voting. Members of Sabbahi’s campaign threatened to withdraw before Sabbahi himself declares intentions to resume the competition. “These moments that the country lives witnesses a real threat by forces of extremism and terrorism. We do not accept to take stance that could be used to serve their purposes at the expense of the country,” Sabbahi said explaining his stance.
PEC gave Tuesday off to lure voters and threatened to enforce a LE500 fine for eligible voters who failed to show up to the polls.
PEC Secretary General Abdel Aziz Salman told MBC Masr Tuesday that turnout for day 2 of elections was 35 percent.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
