The voters’ registration for the 7th Ethiopian general election has finally concluded on the 22nd of April with the board (Ethiopia’s National Election Board) announcing that 50,514,155 citizens have been registered to vote nationwide.
According to NEBE, more than 45.1 million voters were registered through manual systems, while the remainder were recorded digitally. The figures were presented during a briefing by NEBE Chairwoman Melatwork Hailu, who outlined voter distribution, logistics, financing, and operational issues.
The voter register includes over 27.3 million men and more than 23.1 million women according to the data from NBEBE.
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NEBE said 48,829 polling stations have been established across the country, including main, sub, and additional sites. A total of 195,316 personnel have been deployed for election operations, with about 70,000 workers receiving a combined one billion birr in payments so far.
The Reporter Magazine observed the final two days of voter registration in Bahir Dar, the capital of the Amhara Regional State. In this region, the act of registering—or failing to do so—has become a significant dilemma for residents, as either decision potentially makes them a target for either regional administrators or non-state actors. In an official announcement, the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) revealed that the Amhara region saw one of the highest numbers of polling station closures due to alleged irregularities.
During visits to stations in Bahir Dar in the final days of the extended deadline, The Reporter Magazine found that the majority of voters registered only after the initial deadline had passed. “We have been here for a month and two weeks,” a registration officer at one of the stations said. “Of the 585 total voters registered so far, only about 150 signed up during the initial schedule. The rest registered during the extension.”
In that specific area, the number of registered voters was more than five times higher than the estimated number of eligible residents. “Our target was the 110 individuals eligible to vote in this area,” the officer noted. “But we have registered 585 so far.”
The registration officer explained the discrepancy: “We have already registered all 110 local residents. Additionally, many individuals who work in this area chose to register here rather than at their place of residence because they spend most of their day here, leaving home early in the morning and returning late in the evening.”
Following the 14-day extension, some days saw surges of up to 70 registrations per day, though the daily average was typically fewer than 10. The Reporter also observed that approximately 50 voters—40 of whom registered on a single day—lacked formal identification. These individuals were registered via witness testimony, an option permitted by the Board.
“These were daily laborers at the old Bahir Dar Menaheria (bus station) who carry luggage and quintals of grain. Since most lack IDs, they were identified through the witness testimony process,” the registration officer explained.
NEBE confirmed that conditions for voting have not yet been established in the Tigray region, and the status of elections in contested areas remains unconfirmed.
In preparation for the June 1, 2026, election, 81 million birr has been distributed to 36 political parties.The process will be monitored by 169 civil society organizations, alongside international observers from the African Union and IGAD. Media coverage will include 37 accredited outlets and 1,131 registered journalists.
