The common orthodoxy is that Egyptians are apathetic about voting. But before yesterday's deadline for voter registration, police stations were busy receiving citizens' requests to put down their names ahead of the next round of parliamentary elections, and online social networks have been buzzing with information about the deadline. It is unclear if social networks like Facebook have only made more visible an awareness of voter registration that existed ahead of the 2005 parliamentary and presidential elections or if there has been an actual increase in awareness. But what is noticeable is that those networks created a platform to revisit the concept of voting ahead of the upcoming parliamentary elections, which are scheduled for this fall. Hala Mustafa, a political scientist with Al-Ahram Center for Political and Strategic Studies, notes that an increase in voter registration and turnout is expected. "This is the product of the political mobility that has spread in the past five years. Political awareness has increased, as well as people's belief that they could make change," she said. For Mustafa, the media has been key in raising awareness, particularly blogs, social networks, and satellite television. "With higher participation, I expect less fraud in the elections, especially [I expect] that not as many votes will be falsified as they usually are." Violations marred previous elections, from the purchase of votes, to falsification and other violations. In the 2005 parliamentary election, media reported 13 deaths as a result of electoral violence. Official records say that ahead of the last 2005 parliamentary elections, there were over 32 million registered voters throughout the country's 222 constituencies. Voter turnout during the election was estimated at 25 percent. The crux of discussions is about whether voting will make a difference and whether it can serve as a popular step on the road to democracy. Opinions differ. Some see a purely symbolic power in receiving a voting card, while others view their cards as actual gateways to change. Access to the correct information matters. Ahmad Ibrahim, 24, said that in 2005 he went to place his vote believing information he had received that people born between 1986 and 1988 are automatically registered by the government. But he didn't find himself registered and could not vote. “This time, I'm doing it myself. I'm not relying on the government to give me my rights. It was stupid to do it the first time,” he said, waiting his turn at the Agouza police station. Facebook was a source of information on the registration process for some, acting as an alternative to what the government should have offered. “The government is definitely not publicizing this. I only found out about it last night on Facebook,” said Hanna, a 22-year-old student. Similarly, Twitter, another social network, which hosts fewer users in Egypt than Facebook, was also a platform for information exchange. One user was asking whether she needed her birth certificate to register and was assured by fellow users that she didn't. More than one Facebook group was put together to encourage people to register for voting cards. One of these, called the Popular Campaign to Register in Electoral Lists, has more than 7000 members. On its main page, there is a posting with information about the registration process. Another group, named A Call to Make Voting Cards, explains to its members how voting cards make it possible to vote in presidential and parliamentary elections. The group's slogan reads, “Our voice is a treasure that shouldn't be lost.” Both groups reiterate that despite government claims that people born after 1982 are automatically registered, names can be dropped from the list, making it impossible for citizens to receive their voting cards. “For once, it's not a horrible process. I was in and out of the police station in five minutes,” said Ibrahim. The process does not take more than five minutes, as witnessed by Al-Masry Al-Youm reporters, who applied for their voting cards. Voters simply had to submit a photocopy of his or her ID card, fill out an application form and are then granted a registration card that can be collected mid-March, according to registration employees at police stations. At a Heliopolis police station the process was smooth and fast. The only complication occurred when two applicants tried to register at the police station and the address on their ID cards showed that they should go to a different station. The registration employee refused to handle their request. In the Agouza police station, a man tried to apply on behalf of more than one person, carrying a handful of ID cards. His request was turned down. “In 2005, the whole process was new and people didn't really know about it and those who did, didn't trust it. At first, I didn't either but now I realize that it might lead to something, it might mean something. If change is possible in this country, I'd like to play a role in making it happen, no matter how small. After all, it's our right,” said Hanna, who was in line to register at the Agouza police station. For Ibrahim, the act of registering for a voting card was a practice in getting his rights, regardless of its effect on the overall electoral process. “This is our right. It's one of the few rights we have, and we have to take advantage of it. It doesn't matter who you vote for; the candidates haven't even been announced. And it doesn't matter if they win or lose or if the elections are fixed. What matters is having the will to take the initiative.” For others, registering for a voting card can be a way to limit fraud in elections, which has been widely reported by monitors, rights groups and journalists. Tarek, 60, a taxi driver, has had his own experience with electoral fraud. “I was never interested in getting a voting card. I had one made for me: several years ago, I came home one day and found a card, made out in my name and waiting for me. And it was already filled out too, with a candidate's name. The guy running was making voting cards for people, filling them out in his favor, and delivering them so all they had to do was hand them in. I threw it out of the window.”
