Think of your first big victory. It was pretty epic huh? Well, Egyptians [1] are currently celebrating the most boss win of all—free elections [2].
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.
What can you do?
- 11 facts [3] about voting.
- Background [4] on voting.
- Raise awareness [5] about the importance of voting.