Egyptian expats started on Monday printing their ballot papers ahead of the start of voting in the second phase of the parliamentary elections on Wednesday, in a race heavily fielded by a coalition led by Mostaqbal Watan Party. Around 140 polling stations in the country's embassies and consulates in 124 countries will open for mail-in voting by Egyptians abroad in the second phase of the parliamentary elections, which starts Wednesday, according to the National Election Authority (NEA). The second stage of the elections covers 13 governorates and includes Cairo, Qalyubiya, Dakahliya, Meoufiya, Gharbiya, Kafr El-Sheikh, Sharqiya, Damietta, Port Said, Ismailia, Suez, North Sinai and South Sinai. Electoral silence for the second phase of the elections began Sunday . Voting is scheduled for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Expat voters will select candidates from the individual list system depending on their electoral district, and others from the closed list system. Registered voters abroad were asked to print their ballot papers on Monday and Tuesday by entering their registration code on the NEA website. Both ballot papers must be placed in envelopes with a voter declaration, photocopies of the voter's national ID card or passport, and residency documents. The papers must be sent via express mail to the electoral committee of their country's diplomatic mission. Around 2,085 candidates are competing for 70 individual seats, while 284 candidates are competing under the list system in two districts. A domestic vote is set to follow on 7-8 November, with the results of the second stage to be announced on 15 November. The start of the second stage comes one day after the NEA announced the results of the first phase of the elections, with the electoral list led by Mostaqbal Watan Party sweeping up the majority of votes. The number of seats that were allocated for the first stage was 284, with 142 seats for each of the individual and electoral list systems. 32 candidates in four governorates secured seats under the individual system, with 220 candidates set to compete in run-offs later this month. The run-offs for the first phase will be held abroad on 21-23 November, while run-offs for the second phase abroad will be held on 5-7 December. They will be held domestically for the first phase of 23-24 November, with run-offs for the second phase at home held on 7-8 December. The final results of run-offs for the first phase will be announced on 30 November, while final results for the second phase are set be announced on 14 December.
