Egypt’s election body promises free, fair vote

Security measures include ballots with embedded stamps, transparent folders for judges and international monitors

19 May 2012, 6:13 pm

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Egyptian women line up to form a human chain as they hold posters of Muslim Brotherhood presidential candidate, Mohammed Morsi, in Cairo, on Thursday (photo credit: AP/Fredrik Persson)

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt’s election commission is vowing that next week’s presidential election will be free and fair.

Commission deputy chief Hatem Bagato showed reporters Saturday a number of new security measures that will be used to ensure the vote is transparent and fair. They include ballots with embedded security stamps that cannot be photocopied and transparent folders in which judges monitoring the vote will place their results.

The May 23-24 presidential election is the first since last year’s ouster of longtime authoritarian ruler Hosni Mubarak. It marks the first time Egyptians will choose their leader in a race overseen by international monitors.

Mubarak’s regime routinely rigged elections and intimidated voters during his nearly 30-year rule.