Egypt votes in two-phase parliamentary elections seen as key to post-Sisi future

Egyptians head to the polls on Monday in the first phase of parliamentary elections that will decide the makeup of the 596-member House of Representatives, and potentially signal what comes after President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi’s rule.

Expat voting took place earlier this month, while ballots inside Egypt begin across 14 governorates, including Alexandria, Giza, and Luxor. The second phase will follow in late November, with full results expected by the end of December.

The elections come as Cairo plays an increasingly assertive regional role, co-mediating the Gaza ceasefire alongside Qatar and dispatching envoys to Lebanon. Domestically, the vote is being watched as a test of political direction after el-Sisi’s third and final constitutional term, though analysts say another extension remains possible.

Of the 596 seats, 284 will be decided by individual candidates and 284 by party lists, with 28 appointed directly by presidential decree. A quarter are reserved for women. The major parties include the National List for Egypt, the Generation List, and the Popular List.