Egypt Extends Vote In Desperate Attempt to Raise Turnout

The just barely two-candidate election between Egypt’s incoming military ruler Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi and an “opposition” candidate who backed his 2013 coup is being extended for a third day, as the government desperately tries to get a respectable turnout for the sham election, from which all serious opponents were barred.

The Monday vote count was so low that the junta made Tuesday a national holiday to try to get more people to turn out. With polling stations still empty, they decided a third day was in order.

The unanimously pro-Sisi state media is livid, likely because they pre-shot celebratory pieces about a landslide victory can’t be used, and are railing against non-voters, with one major television commentator suggesting non-voters should be shot for abusing the state holiday, which was supposed to be meant for voting.

Overall turnout is unclear but is said to be quite low, with estimates that the first day saw only about 10 percent turnout, and the second day even less.