Egypt’s historic presidential election begins today

• 50 million eligible voters could cast their vote in the first presidential election since the departure of Hosni Mubarak
• 14,000 judges will monitor polling places across the country to prevent fraud, intimidation, and ballot stuffing source

» While many polling places are reporting smooth sailing, Egypt’s election day has not been without incident, and many are shocked by voter turnout compared to November’s parliamentary elections. Some towns have seen as few as ten percent of the voting population cast a vote, though some analysts predict there will be an evening surge as adults get off work, and outdoor temperatures begin to drop. There have also been sporadic reports of bribery on the parts of various campaigns. Both the Muslim Brotherhood, and the campaign of candidate Kafr al-Sheikh, have allegedly distributed food and money in exchange for votes, though both groups have denied the allegations.

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