Over 50.5 Million Voters Registered for Ethiopia’s 7th General Election, NEBE Announces

Addis ababa: Chairperson of the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), Melatwork Hailu, announced that more than 50,514,000 voters have registered for the upcoming 7th General Election.According to Ethiopian News Agency, the registration process for the general election concluded on April 22, 2026. Citizens participated in the process through the "Mirchaye" mobile application as a digital alternative, as well as by appearing in person at various polling stations.In a statement regarding the conclusion of the registration period, Melatwork noted that the Board has been conducting both candidate and voter registration to facilitate the 7th General Election. She specified that the registration of candidates took place from January 9 to February 8, 2026.Furthermore, the voter registration process, which commenced on March 7, was extended by an additional 14 days and officially ended on the evening of April 22, 2026. According to the data received by the Board thus far, a total of 50,514,155 voters have been successfully registered. Of this total, over 5,503,000 voters utilized the digital platform, while the remaining registrations were conducted manually.Melatwork clarified that the current registration figures do not yet include members of the national defense forces, university students, or internally displaced persons. Regarding election observation and media coverage, she revealed that 169 civic organizations have been granted licenses for the 7th General Election, with 141 of them receiving financial support.Additionally, 37 media institutions have obtained reporting permits, and 1,131 journalists have been issued badges to cover the electoral proceedings. The Chairperson also mentioned that debates between political parties are currently underway. Furthermore, discussions have been held regarding the code of conduct for private candidates' campaigns, the allocation of airtime, and other related matters.