Distant locations of polling stations limit women voting

Cairo November 23, 2015
Distant locations of polling stations limit women voting
The second day of the second phase of Egypt’s parliamentary election was characterizedby theongoing exploiting women through vote buying and influencing them in favor of a specific candidate or political party. Besides, there remainssome administrative errorsled some women torefrain from casting their vote. Some female voters complained of the far location of polling stations as it costs more money to reach which led them to abstain and thus many electoral voteswere lost.
In the framework of the Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights (ECWR) Operation room, ECWR field observers monitored the following:
Administrative Errors

• In Cairo governorate, Helwan Constituency, AnasEbnMalek School and Preparatory School for boys in Maassara, some female voters complained that the polling stations are very far from their accommodation and thereby it constitutes a big financial cost to go leading them to abstain from voting.
• In Suez governorate, Suez Constituency, Tal El QalzamPreparatory School, polling station no 24, there is no curtain to vote behind to ensure the confidentiality of the vote.
• In Cairo governorate, El SayedaZeinab Constituency, Garden City Experimental School, Polling station no 53, the inspection procedures of the female voters are so slow, resulting in a long queue and delay of voting.
• Also, in the same school and polling station no 53, a female voter complained that her number inside the polling station is different than the number she got from the website of High Election Committee (HEC)

Vote-buying
In Cairo governorate,

• Rod El-Farag constituency, El Nasr Preparatory School for Girls in Shubra, there was vote buying of female voters for 300 Egyptian Pound.
• El Daher constituency, El-Husaynaya School in El-Daher, there was vote buying for female voters from an average of 300-400 Egyptian Pounds for a certain candidate.
• El-Basateen Constituency, Ali Ebn AbiTaleb School, ManshayatGebreel School, and Torab El Yahoud Schools, a female candidate affirmed that there was vote- buying of female voters for up to 300 EGP by three candidates.
• In Suez governorate, Suez Constituency, Tal El Qalzam primary school, polling station no 24, female voters were bribed for 300 EGP receiving the money after they provide a picture of their vote for a certain candidate as proof.

Continuation of the electoral campaigning

• In Cairo governorate, Rod El-Farag constituency, El Tatbeqeen School for boys, campaigning continued for one of the electoral list continued.

Influencing voters’

• In Cairo governorate, El-Daher Constituency, El-Husnaya School, female voters were instructed to a certain candidate.
• Also in El-Daher Constituency, El Sakakeny School, the female voters were instructed by some women to vote for a certain candidate and the police officer expelled them.
• In Qalioubiya governorate, the sixth constituency, Bahteem, EssecoPrimary School, polling station no 131, a female candidate affirmed that the judge, who is the head of the polling station and supposed to be impartial by law, attempted to influence female voters through distributing flyers for three candidates. Other candidates filed a report of this incident.
• In Suez governorate, Suez constituency, Tel El-Qezm Primary School, polling station no 24, the school principle instructed the female voters to vote in favor of a certain party list.
• Furthermore, in Tel El-Qezm Primary School as well, polling station no 24, some women in the lines attempted to influence female voters to vote for a certain party list.

For more information please contact ECWR on:

ECWR’s operations room phone numbers
Landline: 25282176

Hotlines: 010 99 97 17 23/ 010 08 80 33 62

ECWR Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ECWRonline?fref=ts