[JURIST] On the final day of Egypt's legislative elections [JURIST news archive], police beat back female voters with sticks when they tried to enter a blocked-off polling station in the Nasiriyah district of Zagazig, a stronghold of banned political group the Muslim Brotherhood [Wikipedia profile; JURIST report]. The Brotherhood is the country's largest opposition group and has won more support from voters than expected during the parliamentary elections. Although voting went on as usual in other areas of Egypt Wednesday, the confrontations in Zagazig continue the increasingly regular disturbances [JURIST report] experienced in that area during the past four weeks of elections. The government has arrested hundreds of Brotherhood campaign workers [JURIST report] and blockaded polling stations where the Brotherhood has strong support. The Brotherhood has 35 candidates standing in Wednesday's runoffs for the remaining 127 of the 444 elected seats in parliament. The ruling National Democratic Party [party website, English version], headed by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak [official profile], has won 222 seats so far, the Brotherhood 76 seats. Independents have won two seats and other opposition parties 11. There are six seats undecided in regions where voting has been deemed too fraudulent or violent to be validated. AP has more.

Previously in JURIST's Paper Chase…

• Egypt court allows monitoring of vote count with cameras
• Egyptian police blocking voters as final round of parliamentary elections begin
• Egypt keeping ban on Muslim Brotherhood despite electoral gains
• Egyptian judges reject parliamentary election results
• Hundreds detained in Egypt parliamentary election runoff
• Over 200 arrested in second round of Egypt parliamentary elections