Egyptians head to the polls to elect a new parliament, which critics say will only further cement President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi’s grip on power.
The opening of polling stations marks the start of a weeks-long process to fill 568 of the 596 seats in the lower house, with some provinces not voting for another two weeks.
The remaining 28 lawmakers will be appointed directly by Sissi, the former army chief who seized power after ousting late Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.
Egyptians abroad cast their ballots on Friday and Saturday. In regions such as Alexandria, voters have until tomorrow to cast their ballots in a first round. Some regions including Cairo will not vote until November 24.
Final results are expected by December 25.
Half of the seats will be filled through closed party lists and the other half by individual candidates, with a quarter of the seats reserved for women.
The parliamentary vote comes more than two months after elections for the senate, the upper chamber, which saw a low turnout of about 17 percent.
The pro-government “National List for Egypt” coalition swept that vote, running unopposed in the party list race.
The coalition is expected to dominate again.
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