egypt-final-presidential-elections-2012

The Carter Center
Presidential Election in Egypt
subject to an inclusive, transparent consultation
process and promulgated by a democratically
elected parliament.
6b. Ensure that the electoral legal framework is
clear and complete.
The current legal framework includes some terms
and concepts that are undefined. For example,
candidates and parties are prohibited from using
“religious slogans” in campaigning, but there is
no clear definition of what constitutes a “religious
slogan.” The Carter Center recommends that
lawmakers consider defining vague terms both
within the laws themselves and as part of training
and other education materials for use by election
officials, voters and other electoral actors.
Additionally, the current electoral legal
framework fails to address some important issues,
creating confusion and inconsistent practices
among electoral administrators and other stakeholders.
For example, there is no language in any
of the electoral laws explicitly addressing the assistance
of illiterate voters. Electoral administrators
took inconsistent approaches to assisting illiterate
voters in polling stations. Some refused to provide
assistance; others provided varying levels of
assistance. The Carter Center recommends that
lawmakers work with election administrators and
other stakeholders to address gaps such as these in
future iterations of the electoral legal framework.
7. Consolidate and clarify an impartial, efficient,
and transparent electoral dispute resolution
system to handle all appeals and complaints,
including postelectoral appeals.
The Carter Center recommends that Egypt establishes
a single, unified process for filing all electoral
complaints (either with a permanent EMB or
directly with the courts), possibly through the use
of a standardized complaint form available online
and at multiple locations throughout the country.
Overall, in order to ensure that all Egyptians have
confidence in the electoral complaints system, and
the opportunity to seek redress of election-related
complaints, it is essential that the EMB and
court decisions and actions to address complaints
are clearly explained, written and recorded, and
thoroughly publicized. In addition, the EMB
should clearly and effectively educate voters and
other electoral stakeholders about how the process
works and why it is important to file a complaint
if one has witnessed electoral misconduct.
To enable a more thorough review of postelectoral
appeals, The Carter Center recommends
that lawmakers consider extending the deadline
for decisions on postelectoral appeals to two or
three days after candidates file their appeals with
the electoral management body. The Carter
Center also urges the PEC to publish final
polling-station-level results via its website at
the earliest possible opportunity to reinforce the
transparency of the electoral dispute resolution
process, accounting for changes in vote totals
based on the adjudication of electoral complaints.
8. Eliminate mandatory sanctions for failure
to vote.
Voting is mandatory in Egypt. During the presidential
election, Egyptian law stated that a failure
to vote carried with it a fine of up to 100 Egyptian
pounds (approximately U.S. $17). While The
Carter Center is unaware of any fines having been
levied against any of the millions of Egyptians
who chose not to vote, these fines are both unreasonably
high and do not have the desired effect of
ensuring voter turnout. Particularly in the absence
of a comprehensive, rigorous program of voter
education, The Carter Center suggests that these
fines be eliminated.
To the Presidential Election
Commission
9. Take steps to ensure and enhance the integrity
of the voter registration process.
The process of voter registration is a critical
means of ensuring the enfranchisement of eligible
voters and the integrity of an election. In the
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