Let's Talk

Cheat Sheet: Egypt Elections

Think of your first big victory. It was pretty epic huh? Well, Egyptians are currently celebrating the most boss win of all—free elections.

Say what? Yep, that’s right for the first time citizens can vote with the peace of mind that the ballot won’t be rigged. And millions came out Wednesday/Thursday to flex their democratic muscles. (Don’t you wish U.S. voters showed this much enthusiasm?)

We’ve created a cheat sheet with all the info regarding the election and the events that led to this monumental achievement.

The Background

Uprisings in Egypt began Jan. 25 2011. They were partially fueled by the successful rebellion in Tunisia.
There were many issues that caused citizens to unite against President Hosni Mubarak. Rising food prices, police brutality, rigged elections, and a struggling economy were just some of them.
Mubarak tried to keep the protests in check by shutting off Internet access in the country for several days, among other things.
After 18 days of uprising, he stepped down on Feb. 11. His reign of power: 1981-2011.

The Aftermath

Military took over, following Mubarak’s leave.
The constitution was suspended and parliament was dissolved.
A constitution referendum vote was put in place, which would allow for future presidential and parliamentary elections.
The referendum vote was considered the first free vote for Egyptians in decades.

The Election

There have been two days of voting: Wednesday and Thursday (then ballots close).
13 candidates are running and there is no expected outright winner.
If no one gets at least 50% of the vote, the top two will go to a runoff election June 16-17. The winner will be named June 21.
The top two candidates that have the most divided opinions: Mohammed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood (Egypt’s largest political group). And Ahmed Shafiq, Mubarak’s last prime minister and a former air force commander.