Egypt Presidential Election Day 1 Results

(Picture from Egypt Independent)
Egyptians dip their index finger in the ink, then place their fingerprint
in the box of their chosen candidate.
The ink stains the finger and prevents return trips to the polls.
As you can see on the ballot, there are several candidates,
each indicated by their name (right column),
their party or personal symbol, then their picture.

There are no official results, but election officials estimate that nearly 60 percent of voters showed up for the first of the two day voting period.  The lines were excessively long in various polling places; we spoke with one Egyptian Christian who waited more than 2 hours to cast his vote.  The polls officially closed at 9:00 pm, but according to reports, anyone in line at that time would be allowed to vote tonight.

The unofficial exit polls that were reported tonight showed these widely debated placements of candidates:
1. Morsy (Muslim Brotherhood candidate)
2. Moussa (secularist, former Foreign Minister)
3. Aboul Fotouh (Islamist, former MB member)
4. Sabbahi (independent, Nasserist)
5. Shafiq (former Mubarak appointed Prime Minister)

From the reports that we're seeing, many Christians have their votes split among Moussa and Shafiq.  Such a split fills the Christian minority with a lot of anxiety as another day of polling awaits.  Muslim Brotherhood candidate Morsy and former Brotherhood leader Fotouh have shown strong support across the country in the past week--a split could among Moussa, Sabbahi, and Shafiq could lead to an all Islamist ballot for the runoff next month.

There were clashes reported at polls between Moussa and Morsy supporters, and another that got violent with knives between supporters of Fotouh and Moussa.

Shafiq may have had the worst day--not because of his place in the exit polls, but because after voting, he was pelted by thrown shoes by the crowds (a sign of disrespect and insult here in the Middle East).  Shafiq reportedly replied after the incident, "Difference of opinion should not turn to insult."

It shouldn't--that's the goal of democracy and the freedom of expression--but it is not always the case; Shafiq and Egypt are learning that the hard way in this quest for democracy.

Continue to pray for Egypt; we will make another post tomorrow evening.


"What brings you freedom is not the freedom to choose--it's the choices you make in freedom that determine if you will be free." ~ Erwin Raphael McManus (pastor, author)