egypt-final-presidential-elections-2012

The Carter Center
Presidential Election in Egypt
witnesses reported that in roughly 30 percent of
polling stations, there were procedural errors observed
during the second round of the election, as compared
to nearly 50 percent of polling stations during the first
round.
Breaches of the Secrecy of
the Vote: Breaches of the
secrecy of the vote during
the first round of voting
were reported to have
been witnessed in onethird
of polling stations.
The occurrences of similar
breaches during the second
round were reported in
just over 10 percent of
polling stations. The most
common reason for breaches was placement of the
polling booths in a way that did not ensure ballot
secrecy. While the placement of ballot booths made
it easier for anyone in the polling station to view a
voter’s ballot, thereby reducing the secrecy of the
ballot, it was seen by election officials as a justifiable
move to prevent the likelihood of fraud. 159 There were
also many cases where voters themselves voluntarily
disclosed their choice to others, despite the availability
of polling booths. Although these breaches did
not appear to be intentional on the part of electoral
officials, they were a cause of some concern, given
that the right to secrecy of the vote is a key Egyptian
international obligation. 160
Regarding the secrecy of the vote, a serious
concern was the inappropriate assistance in many
cases that judges and other officials provided to
illiterate voters. The Egyptian legal framework on
the presidential election is silent with regard to
assistance to illiterate voters. Many members of the
judiciary considered it illegal and refused to provide
assistance. 161 However, a number of presiding judges
opted to provide assistance in such cases. Such assistance
was often provided outside the polling booth,
enabling anybody present in the polling station to
witness the choice of the voter. The Carter Center
There were also many cases where
voters themselves voluntarily disclosed
their choice to others, despite the
availability of polling booths.
strongly recommends that Egyptian legislators
consider enacting into domestic legislation provisions
for assistance to illiterate voters, in a way that allows
similar assistance as that currently provided to visually
impaired or disabled voters. 162
Denial of the Right To
Vote: Cases of voters not
being allowed to vote were
witnessed by The Carter
Center in roughly 10 percent
of polling stations, during
both rounds. This was
usually because the names of
those voters did not appear
on the voters’ lists or they
were not able to provide
sufficient proof of identity.
In several cases when Carter Center witnesses were
present, it was determined that voters were registered
but were attempting to vote at the wrong polling
station. In both rounds of voting, there were a few
cases in which women in niqab who refused to be
identified by the male judge were barred from being
allowed to vote. Even though it is likely that few
registered Egyptians were denied outright the opportunity
to vote, it is essential that election officials
do more to ensure that all voters are aware of the
exact polling center and station to which they are
assigned to vote and that all voters are educated on
the requirements for voter identification once at the
159 It is worth noting that the MoI instructed that voting booths be
turned so that the voters voted with their backs facing the common
polling station in the line of vision of the supervising judge. This was
intended to prevent attempted voter fraud by reducing the risk that a
voter could photograph his or her vote or switch a blank ballot with an
already completed ballot brought from outside the polling station.
160 U.N., ICCPR, Article 25 (b); U.N., UDHR, Article 21(3)
161 The SJCE directed polling station judges not to provide assistance to
illiterate voters during the course of the parliamentary elections.
162 As of 2006, the World Bank reported that only 66 percent of
Egyptians ages 15 and over are literate.
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