SHARQEYA: Judges were divided over the legality of flyers brought into polling stations by voters in Sharqeya in the second round of parliamentary elections.
Many voters arrived with forms identifying the number of their polling station and their name on the voters’ lists, which bear the logos of a certain party, while others walked in with flyers identifying which candidates and symbols to choose from the ballot.
According to the Supreme Electoral Commission (SEC), any campaigning material is strictly forbidden inside polling stations.
However, lawyer Mohamed Abdel Moneim, who was monitoring the elections at Al- Nahda Secondary School, said these flyers were not a violation.
"It is just to help the voter know their location and number to make the process easier and faster," he said.
Judges Hisham Khalil and Hend Helmy also agreed.
"There’s no problem with voters having these forms inside the polling station, the party just printed out these forms to aide the voter but it is not campaigning material," said Helmy
On the other hand, Judge Ghada Abdel Salam said that she confiscated these flyers inside her station.
"Nothing affiliated with a candidate or a party is allowed inside, I immediately take them and tear them up," she told Daily News Egypt.
Female voter turnout
Women in Sharqeya were eager to cast their votes making a bigger showing than their male counterparts.
"There is freedom, there is democracy so we must vote," said Om Nesma, 42, adding that, "before we would know the results before the elections even took place."
Om Nesma, who has told her 10 children to vote, said she voted for the "good-hearted people who fear God."
"[We’re voting in] the hope that our children will find jobs and that we all find bread to eat," she said.
Forty-five-year-old Aisha Ibrahim Adly only issued an ID card this year so she can vote. "I found a party program I liked and now I know that my vote will make a difference," she said.
"I want to make the country a better place so I’m keen on having my voice heard," said 27-year-old Karima Metwally.
On the other hand, Ayman Abdel Kader, was not keen on participating in the elections. "What are they going to do for me?" he asked.
"I want someone who can raise the citizen’s income but I can’t find anyone who can do that in the coming period in the direction the country is going," he explained.
One judge at the Military Secondary School went inside voting booths with voters to help them.
"These voters can’t read and write so they tell me who they want to vote for and I show them," said Judge Maged Ezzeldin.
Other judges were doing the same. "If a voter can’t find the candidate or party they want, they tell me and I mark [the ballot] for them, " Abdel Salam said.
Mahmoud Nefei, a candidate with Masr Al-Qawmi Party, suspects that violations will occur during the vote counting.
"Everything could be fair and free now but the vote counting is chaotic and numbers can be changed around," he said.
Sharqeya comprises four single-winner constituencies and two constituencies for party lists. 384 individual candidates are contesting 10 seats while 39 party lists are vying for 20 seats in the governorate which is home to 3.5 million registered voters.
The Salafi Al-Nour Party and the Muslim Brotherhood’s Freedom and Justice Party have a strong presence, as well as Al-Mowaten Al-Masry, which includes former members of the National Democratic Party.
