Voter turnout in U.S. beyond expectations: Consul

CAIRO – 16 March 2018: Egyptian voter turnout was not expected to reach such high levels, Egypt's General Consul to the United States Hisham al-Naqeeb said on Friday.

In press remarks on Friday, Naqeeb said that voter turnout will expectedly increase in the upcoming two days, adding that the Egyptian communities in the United States are ordering special buses to transport them from the different cities of America to the consulate headquarters.

He further stated that special queues have been set up for people with disabilities and seniors over 50 that may need to be fast tracked.

Eligible Egyptian voters abroad started casting their ballots via Egyptian embassies across the world Friday. The election is being held at 139 consulates and embassies representing 124 countries from Friday, March 16 to Sunday, March 18.

The Egyptian embassy in New Zealand was the first to open to the electorate, given an 11-hour time difference with Cairo.

President Abdel Fatah Al Sisi and Al-Ghad Party head Moussa Moustafa Mossua are the only candidates approved to run in the election. The voting process officially commences for Egyptians residing inside the country on March 26 and will last until March 28.