EGYPTIAN authorities warned people to vote or risk paying a fine as they looked to boost turnout in a lacklustre election that is virtually guaranteed to hand President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi a second four-year term.

El-Sissi faces only a token opponent in the vote, with serious challengers forced out or arrested. It resembled the referenda held by autocrats for decades before the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011 briefly raised hopes of democratic change.

The Government was hoping for a high turnout to lend the election legitimacy, and staggered the voting over three days, with polls closing at 9pm local time. Official results are expected on April 2.

A state-news agency quoted unnamed election officials as saying that the law penalises boycotters, with a fine of around £21. Similar warnings have been issued in previous elections, with no real enforcement.

Nearly 60 million Egyptians are eligible to vote at some 13,700 polling centres, but early expectations are of a low turnout.

El-Sissi’s only opponent is Moussa Mustafa Moussa, a little-known politician who supports the President and made no effort to campaign against him.

Local media, dominated by pro-government commentators, have urged people to come out and vote, saying they have a national obligation to resist foreign plots aimed at sowing discord.