(AFP PHOTO/MAHMOUD KHALED)
The Presidential Elections Commission (PEC) stated Tuesday that its decision not to create special polling stations for voters living outside their electoral districts preserves the validity of the elections results.
The PEC released a statement on Tuesday in response to complaints voiced by several bodies about the absence of such polling stations.
Interim Prime Minister Ibrahim Mehleb said last week that he received several complaints regarding the difficulties for those living outside their electoral districts to vote, reported state-run Al-Ahram. He added that the complaints were referred to the Supreme Electoral Commission, which has the proper jurisdiction to look into them.
During the 2014 constitutional referendum, interim President Adly Mansour issued a decision allowing voters residing outside their electoral districts to vote in special polling stations without prior registration. The PEC, opposing this decision at that time, stressed that this might have allowed voters to vote more than once in different polling stations, therefore jeopardising the validity of the elections’ results.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs devised a new voting system that allowed Egypt’s expatriates to vote abroad in the presidential elections, without necessarily registering in advance or holding a residence in the country where the voting takes place.
The ministry said that voters who cast their votes would be automatically removed from the voters’ list to prevent duplication.
During the constitutional referendum, 424,000 voters were able to make use of the special polling stations, according to the PEC.
