On September 25, 2023, Egypt’s National Elections Authority issued Decision No. 3 of 2023, declaring that Egypt will hold a presidential election December 10–12, 2023.
The elections authority also issued Decision No. 1 of 2023, allowing 24 domestic nongovernmental organizations and nine foreign nongovernmental organizations to monitor the upcoming presidential elections.
The Election Authority’s Main Role
The National Elections Authority’s main responsibility is to supervise presidential and parliamentary elections to ensure that the electoral process and candidates abide by the applicable laws and the Egyptian Constitution. (Law No. 198 of 2017, art. 3.) The elections authority also prepares and updates the database of voters, and monitors candidates’ electoral campaigns, funding, and expenses. (Egyptian Constitution of 2014, as amended, art. 208.)
Presidential Term and Elections
Term of the Presidency
The president of the republic is elected for a duration of six calendar years. The president may not hold office for more than two consecutive terms. (Art. 140.)
Presidential Elections
The president is elected by direct secret ballot by an absolute majority of votes. (Art. 143.)
Presidential elections take place at least 120 days before the end of the presidential term. The result of the presidential elections must be announced at least 30 days before the end of term. (Art. 140, para. 2.)
Conditions to Be a Presidential Candidate
The Egyptian Constitution sets forth a number of conditions that a candidate must meet to be eligible to run for the presidency:
- A candidate must be an Egyptian citizen born to Egyptian parents.
- The candidate, their parents, and their spouse must not hold dual citizenship.
- The candidate must not have been denied their civil and political rights due to a criminal conviction.
- The candidate must have performed military service.
- The candidate must be at least 40 years old. (Art. 141.)
Additionally, the presidential candidate must obtain the recommendation of at least 20 elected members of the Egyptian House of Representatives (lower chamber of the parliament). Alternatively, the candidate could receive the endorsements of least 25,000 citizens who have the right to vote in 15 different governorates, with a minimum of 1,000 endorsements from each governorate. (Art. 142.)
George Sadek, Law Library of Congress
October 6, 2023
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Updated October 6, 2023, to correct the misstatement regarding a presidential candidate’s minimum age.