A regional governor pledged improved water and sanitation service to towns with a high turnout. But as the election neared, officials used a mixture of rewards, bullying and cajoling to boost turnout. This concerted drive has been undertaken by regional governors, community leaders, police, schools, clerics and businessmen, according to interviews conducted by The Associated Press. The election comes amid the harshest crackdown on dissent in Egypt’s modern history, with thousands of Islamists and secular activists in jail. Participants at the meetings assigned specific tasks by geographic location, according to witnesses and voters with firsthand experience of the operation.

Source: National Post March 27, 2018 18:47 UTC