egypt-final-presidential-elections-2012

The Carter Center
Presidential Election in Egypt
of 8 a.m. These inconsistencies in opening times
may have disenfranchised some voters. It is essential
that the training of election officials include
the importance of opening on time and the steps
that election officials and other stakeholders must
take to ensure that all procedures preliminary to
poll opening are completed before the designated
opening time.
Closing procedures: During both rounds of
voting, Carter Center witnesses observed some
instances in which polling station officials
commenced the vote count before closing the
polling station. Beginning the vote count while
voters are still casting ballots increases the likelihood
that the final count will be inaccurate and
decreases confidence in the integrity of the electoral
process overall. The Carter Center strongly
recommends that future training of election
officials emphasizes a standardized approach to
the closing of polling stations and the securing of
ballots and that closing procedures should only be
commenced after the conclusion of voting.
Interference by candidate agents: In roughly
5 percent of polling stations, Carter Center
witnesses reported that candidate agents interfered
in the process or actively took on roles of polling
station staff. A clear distinction between polling
station staff and candidate agents is necessary to
promote the independence, and the perception of
independence, of the electoral process. EMB officials
should ensure that judges and other polling
station personnel are trained on the importance
of allowing only polling station staff to conduct
polling activities. EMBs should also develop and
implement training for candidate agents and other
stakeholders to ensure they understand the limits
of their roles in the process.
Ballot secrecy: Carter Center witnesses observed
in many polling stations that voters were not
casting their ballots in absolute secrecy, for various
reasons. In addition to ensuring that polling
stations and polling booths are large enough to
facilitate ballot secrecy, election officials should
also ensure that the right to vote in secret is
incorporated into voter education efforts and that
election officials are well-trained on both the
importance of ballot secrecy and how to ensure
that polling station rooms are best configured to
ensure ballot secrecy.
Determination of ballot validity: Carter Center
witnesses observed inconsistencies at the pollingstation
level in the determination of whether
a marked ballot was valid or invalid. There did
not appear to be systematic review at the District
General Committee (DGC) level of pollingstation-level
decisions regarding ballot validity,
even though the law grants DGCs authority to
review and modify such decisions. Future electoral
processes would benefit by developing training
for election officials and other stakeholders on
their roles in the process of determining and
challenging ballot validity at the polling station
and DGC level.
Use of secure, tamper-evident bags: Although
The Carter Center observed that the transport
of sensitive materials generally took place in an
orderly and efficient manner, the process still
allowed for the possibility of tampering. The
Carter Center reiterates its recommendation that
future EMBs consider the use of secure, tamperevident
bags for the transportation of materials, as
a further protection against electoral fraud.
11. Ensure timely notification of procedural changes.
Changes to procedures close to or on polling days,
such as last-minute modifications, can create a
host of challenges. It is therefore essential that
EMBs prioritize the timely release of election regulations
and procedures. The Carter Center recommends
that in cases of unavoidable late changes
to the regulations or procedures, the EMB takes
immediate steps to ensure that all stakeholders
(including the electorate) are alerted to and, as
necessary, trained on the new regulations and
procedures and that the EMB coordinates quickly
with other agencies to ensure that these changed
procedures and policies are properly implemented.
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