CAIRO: The State Information Service (SIS) Authority has created hotlines to receive inquiries from foreign journalists about the electoral process of the Egyptian parliamentary elections, which kicked off Saturday abroad.
The press center, available domestically at 19343, will receive questions from local and foreign correspondents, SIS head Salah Abdel Sadek told The Cairo Post, adding that journalists may also call to report problems of access.
A total of 768 foreign reporters have been permitted to cover the polling, and seven international organizations were approved to observe the elections, according to an August statement by the High Elections Committee (HEC.)
An operation room has also been allocated at the SIS headquarters in Talaat Harb St, downtown Cairo, to follow up on the first round of the electoral process, which is scheduled to begin in Egypt Sunday.
For eligible voters in Egypt, they can inquire about the location of their polling station by entering their 14-digit national ID number on HEC website.
While for Egyptian expats, they will be asked to present their national ID number or their passports that include the ID number and the home address in Egypt, in addition to filling a form attesting to residence abroad.
Voting in the first round, inside and outside Egypt, will kick off Oct. 17 and last until Oct. 30, including results’ announcement, the run-off phase (if needed) and submitting complaints, according to a schedule available on the SIS website.
The second round is set to begin Nov.21 abroad and Nov.22 in Egypt.