In the early hours of Monday, June 1, 2026, millions of Ethiopians will line up at more than 52,000 polling stations across the country to cast ballots in the country’s seventh general election. Regional and international observers are closely watching the vote, which is among Africa’s largest electoral exercises this year.
The vote comes at a pivotal moment for Ethiopia as the country undergoes major economic reforms and rapid digital expansion while continuing to navigate post-conflict tensions and security concerns in several regions.
According to the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), more than 50.5 million people have registered to vote at more than 52,000 polling stations nationwide. Women account for 46 percent of registered voters.
The poll also comes amid broader economic and technological shifts in Ethiopia, where recent government reforms have opened parts of the economy to foreign investment while the state-backed “Digital Ethiopia” initiative expands mobile money and digital financial services nationwide.
The Horn of Africa country continues navigating the aftermath of the 2020-2022 conflict in the country’s north amid ongoing security concerns in parts of the Amhara and Tigray regions.
NEBE says it deployed 187,000 election officials to manage polling operations. The federal government also declared June 1 a public holiday to facilitate voting.
Digital Voter Registration Introduced
This election cycle marks the first time Ethiopia has used a digital voter and candidate registration system.
NEBE said it introduced mobile and web-based voter and candidate registration platforms to modernize the registration process, reduce duplicate registrations and improve accessibility.
The board said more than 5.5 million voters were digitally registered during a hybrid registration exercise conducted between March 7 and April 22.
“By enabling citizens to register themselves or receive assistance using digital tools, the system helps minimize long queues, reduce registration errors and ease logistical challenges,” NEBE said in a statement.
The electoral board also said special arrangements were made to allow internally displaced people, university students and members of the national defense forces to vote away from their home constituencies.
NEBE Chairperson Melatwork Hailu clarified that the current registration figures do not yet include members of the national defense forces, university students or internally displaced persons.
Political Parties and Candidates
According to figures shared by Ethiopia’s ruling Prosperity Party, 47 political parties and more than 10,900 candidates are participating in the election.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power in April 2018 following widespread anti-government protests that led to the resignation of his predecessor.
His Prosperity Party has governed since December 2019, when Abiy dissolved the former ruling coalition, the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), and merged most of its member parties into a single national party.
Ethiopia’s general election operates under a parliamentary system, meaning voters elect federal and regional legislative representatives rather than voting directly for the prime minister.
The party or coalition controlling a majority in the federal parliament ultimately forms the government and selects the country’s executive leadership.
Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party remains the country’s dominant political force, holding a large parliamentary majority and governing most regional administrations.
The party concluded its nationwide campaign this week with rallies in several cities, including Addis Ababa, where party officials promoted infrastructure and urban development projects under the campaign slogan “Transforming Ethiopia into a Model Country.”
Opposition parties participating in the election include the Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice party, the National Movement of Amhara, the Enat Party, the Freedom and Equality Party and the Oromo Federalist Congress.
NEBE said it organized candidate-symbol lotteries, televised debates and free media airtime allocations in coordination with the Ethiopian Media Authority.
According to the board, the airtime allocation covered radio stations, television broadcasters and newspapers in multiple languages.
Regional Observer Missions Deployed
Regional organizations, including the African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), have deployed election observation missions.
The African Union Election Observation Mission is led by former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and includes 73 short-term observers from 37 African countries. The AU said 61 percent of the observers are women.
According to the AU, the delegation includes election experts, civil society representatives, media analysts and human rights specialists who will observe polling, counting and tabulation procedures.
IGAD’s observer mission is led by former Ugandan Vice President Speciosa Wandira Kazibwe and includes 26 observers drawn from member states.
IGAD said the mission will monitor voting procedures in several regional states, including Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa.
Both organizations said they plan to release preliminary findings on June 3.
Separately, NEBE Chairperson Melatwork Hailu said 169 civic organizations have been licensed to observe the seventh general election, with 141 of them receiving financial support.
Voting Suspended in Some Constituencies
NEBE announced that voting will not take place in 46 constituencies nationwide, including all 38 constituencies in the Tigray region and eight constituencies in the Amhara region.
Melatwork said the postponements were linked to security, administrative and political concerns.
In Tigray, the board cited unresolved issues related to security conditions and the political and legal status of regional actors following the northern conflict.
In Amhara, the affected constituencies are located in South and West Gondar, Ambassel and Dega Damot, according to Ethiopian Observer reporting citing NEBE officials.
The board said voting in the affected constituencies would be held at a later date, though no timetable has been announced.
Separately, residents of five disputed districts, including Humera, Adiremets, Korem Afla, Telemt and Alamata, will vote only for federal parliamentary representatives.
According to The Reporter, regional council elections in those districts will be delayed pending a House of Federation decision on territorial disputes between the Amhara and Tigray regional administrations.
Security Concerns Remain
Security concerns have remained a central issue throughout the campaign period.
NEBE said it held consultations in March with political parties, regional officials, security institutions and civil society groups regarding election-related security conditions.
The board said constituencies were categorized by varying levels of risk and that monitoring teams would be deployed to areas where political parties had raised concerns.
The election campaign has unfolded amid continued instability in some regions, including armed activity in parts of Amhara.
Some opposition parties have argued conditions are not yet suitable for fully competitive elections in all parts of the country.
Economic Stabilization and Digital Expansion
Ethiopia’s election comes amid major economic and financial reforms aimed at opening parts of the country’s economy to private and foreign investment.
Under the government’s Homegrown Economic Reform Agenda, authorities have introduced changes to the foreign exchange market and begun opening the banking sector to foreign competition and investment banking services.
The reforms have been backed by financing frameworks from the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
At the same time, the government’s “Digital Ethiopia” initiative and the National Digital Payments Strategy for 2026-2030 have accelerated the expansion of mobile money and digital financial services.
According to official figures, mobile money accounts have grown from 12.2 million in 2020 to roughly 139 million.
The reforms come as Ethiopia seeks to attract foreign investment while navigating continued political and security challenges in several regions.
