(MENAFN) Egypt kicked off the initial stage of its parliamentary elections on Monday, as voters across 14 provinces began selecting members of the House of Representatives, according to reports.

Nearly 63 million citizens are eligible to vote for 568 seats in the legislature, which will be filled in two phases. Phase one spans two days and covers the provinces of Alexandria, Assiut, Aswan, Beheira, Beni Suef, Fayoum, Giza, Luxor, Matrouh, Minya, New Valley, Qena, Red Sea, and Sohag, operating across 5,606 subcommittees in 70 electoral districts.

A total of 1,287 candidates are vying for seats, including 1,143 independents running under the individual system and 142 contenders through party lists. Egypt’s 596-seat House of Representatives is composed of 568 elected members—split evenly between the closed-list and individual systems—along with 28 members appointed directly by presidential decree.

The results of this first stage are scheduled to be released on November 18. Authorities confirmed that a comprehensive security plan has been implemented to safeguard polling stations.

Voting for Egyptians living abroad occurred on November 7-8 at embassies and consulates in 117 countries, according to government reports. The second phase of the elections will take place on November 21-22 for expats and November 24-25 for citizens in the remaining 13 provinces, with results expected on December 2.

These elections follow the recent Senate polls, which filled the upper chamber of parliament. The House of Representatives plays a central role in Egypt’s political system, exercising legislative authority and oversight in accordance with the constitution. The current House, elected in late 2020, will conclude its five-year term in January 2026.

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