On October 6, 2020, Egypt held its first presidential election since the ouster of former president Mohamed Morsi in 2013. The incumbent president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, was re-elected with a landslide victory, garnering 97 percent of the vote. The election was widely seen as a referendum on Sisi’s rule, as he faced no serious opposition and the only other candidate was a little-known politician.

The election was marred by low turnout, with only 41.5 percent of eligible voters participating, the lowest turnout since the 2011 revolution. This was largely due to the government’s clampdown on dissent and the lack of a viable opposition candidate. The election was also criticized for its lack of transparency, with international observers noting numerous irregularities.

Despite the low turnout and lack of transparency, Sisi was declared the winner with a wide margin. He is now set to serve a second term in office, which is expected to be marked by an intensification of the crackdown on dissent and the further erosion of civil liberties.