An elder member of Al-Dairy family in Abo Mana`a village in Deshna near Qena in Upper Egypt was shocked to learn today that one of his granddaughters, Yasmine Abdul Mohsen, who was born twenty years ago and died just six months after birth, was issued an electoral card carrying her name--with registration number 4 and serial number 1022--to vote for the constituency's ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) candidate Kamal Moussa.

The candidate, who has the support of the villagers, most likely acquired a list of people born in 1990 in order to issue them electoral identity cards carrying their names, and have stand-ins vote on their behalf, says Mahmoud Al Dairy, the girl`s second cousin, explaining the unfortunately common practice.

"This happens in many circles in Qena, so it's not strange to find miracles like dead people voting," says Al Dairy.