Heightened security as Egypt votes in second round of election

Egyptians were voting on Monday in the second phase of parliamentary elections, with polling taking place in 13 governorates under heightened security after the first round was marred by irregularities.

Voting, which runs until Tuesday, is being held in 73 constituencies where 1,316 candidates are contesting 141 individual seats.

A single electoral list, the National List for Egypt, is running unopposed for another 142 party‑list seats covering the Cairo, South and Central Delta, and East Delta constituencies.

According to the National Elections Authority, about 34.6 million registered voters are eligible to cast their ballots in this phase of the regional voting. The process is supervised by 9,200 judges drawn from the Administrative Prosecution and State Lawsuits authorities.

Egyptians abroad had already voted on 21 and 22 November. The elections are widely expected to produce another chamber loyal to President Abdel Fatteh El Sisi.

The second-phase governorates are Cairo, Qalyubia, Dakahlia, Menoufia, Gharbia, Kafr El Sheikh, Sharqia, Damietta, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, North Sinai and South Sinai. Cairo is the busiest with 19 districts and 8.6 million registered voters.

Results are scheduled to be released on December 2, with run‑off voting taking place abroad on December 15 and 16, and inside Egypt on December 17 and 18. The final outcomes are due on December 25.

Mr El Sisi cast his ballot on Monday in the Cairo district of Heliopolis, his office said. Several cabinet members and senior officials also voted in their home constituencies.

The Interior Ministry and local authorities have tightened security around polling stations and deployed additional patrols after widespread complaints in the first stage about vote‑buying and ballot‑box irregularities.

Gov