Egypt's military-installed authorities have hailed a "high turnout" in a constitutional referendum they had billed as an opportunity for voters to pass verdict on last year's overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.
Preliminary tallies reported by state media suggested that more than 90 per cent of votes cast had been in support of the new charter, with a 39 per cent turnout in most provinces in the two days of polling.
Official results are expected by Saturday.
Aides said on Thursday that army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who toppled Morsi after mass protests against his one-year rule, was closely monitoring the vote to assess whether he had sufficient popular support to stand for the presidency himself in an election promised for later this year.
The outcome of the referendum has never been in doubt as Morsi's Islamist supporters called a boycott.
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But the military-installed government is hoping for a large turnout to bolster its democratic credentials after the overthrow of Egypt's first freely-elected president last July.
It was the first vote since Morsi's ouster, and authorities say the new constitution provides greater protection for freedom of speech and women's rights than the one adopted under the now deposed Islamist in December 2012.
Ehab Badawy, spokesman for the interim president, "remarked, on the high turnout in the referendum, that it was a beautiful day for Egypt and democracy", a statement said.
The government said the vote showed support for Morsi's overthrow.
"This was also a referendum on June 30," said government spokesman Hany Salah, referring to the day when millions of protesters took to the streets demanding Morsi's resignation.
A coalition led by Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, which has organised near daily rallies against his overthrow, claimed the referendum was a "farce" and pledged further protests.
"We will continue the days of rage," the Anti-Coup Alliance said.
A student was killed on Thursday in clashes between Morsi supporters and opponents at Cairo University, the interior ministry said.
The referendum has put the Islamists on the back foot, and gives the government even less incentive to negotiate with Morsi's movement, already blacklisted as a terrorist group and battered by a bloody crackdown.
"We are definitely moving forward, whether they want to or not," Salah told AFP, referring to the Brotherhood.
"We believe they live in a virtual world."
