Egyptians cast their votes at a polling station during the presidential election, Cairo, March 26, 2018. Reuters
The decision outlines the procedures and conditions under which Egyptians residing abroad will cast their ballots in the 2025 Senate elections, in line with the timeline released by the National Election Authority (NEA).
Applications for candidacy will be accepted from 5 to 10 July. The final list of candidates and their electoral symbols is scheduled for publication on 11 July in the state-owned Akhbar Al-Youm and Al-Gomhuria newspapers. Appeals against nominated candidates will be considered from 14 to 16 July, with the definitive list confirmed on 18 July—the exact date the official campaign period begins. The deadline for candidates to withdraw is 20 July.
The period of electoral silence is set to begin on Thursday, 31 July.
Egyptians abroad are scheduled to vote on Friday and Saturday, 1 and 2 August. To be eligible, a voter must be registered in the official database and hold a valid Egyptian national ID card or passport bearing their national ID number. These are the only two documents accepted for verifying identity. Voting is to be carried out by direct, general, and secret ballot.
Polling abroad takes place at Egyptian embassies, consulates, or other locations determined by the NEA based on nominations from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Voting runs from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. local time in each host country, with a one-hour break. If voters remain in line at closing time, their names are recorded and they are permitted to vote.
Candidates or list representatives may appoint one or more agents to represent them at overseas polling stations, provided the appointees are registered voters. Their names and assigned polling stations must be submitted to the NEA at least two days before the start of overseas voting.
Voters with disabilities who are unable to mark the ballot physically may privately inform the head of the committee of their choices, which are then recorded. Fully veiled women are required to verify their identity with a female committee member; refusal to do so disqualifies them from voting, and the incident is documented in the official report.
Each voter receives two ballots—one for individual candidates and one for party lists—and proceeds to a private area to mark their choices in secret. The votes are then folded and placed in the designated boxes, after which the voter signs or places a fingerprint beside their name in the register.
At the end of each voting day, ballot boxes are sealed and stored under secure conditions and reopened the following morning under official supervision. Once voting concludes, each committee tallies the votes for individual candidates and lists separately, records the results, and sends all materials—including ballots, registers, reports, and appeals—in the first diplomatic pouch to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These are then forwarded to the committee overseeing overseas voting, which compiles a final report and integrates the results into the national count.
Media outlets and accredited organisations may observe the voting, counting, and tallying processes following NEA regulations.
Voting within Egypt will take place on 4 and 5 August. The final results are set to be announced on 12 August.
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