Over 10,900 Candidates Registered for Ethiopia’s Seventh General Election: NEBE

Addis Ababa, March 7, 2026 (FMC) – A total of 10,934 candidates have so far registered to compete in Ethiopia’s upcoming seventh general election, Chairperson of the National Election Board of Ethiopia, Melatwork Hailu, has announced.

Speaking at a press briefing held in Addis Ababa, the Chairperson stated that the candidates were registered by 47 political parties.

According her, 2,198 candidates will contest seats in the House of Peoples’ Representatives (HoPR), while 8,736 candidates are running for positions in various Regional Councils.

In addition to party-affiliated contenders, 73 independent candidates have also registered to take part in the election. Of these, 69 are men and four are women.

Meanwhile, the National Election Board of Ethiopia has officially launched nationwide voter registration for the country’s seventh general election.

Chairperson Melatwork noted that all logistical and administrative preparations have been finalized, enabling voter registration to begin as scheduled on February 28, 2026.

The registration exercise will run for one month and will be conducted through both digital and manual systems.

Citizens are able to register digitally by downloading the “Mirchaye” (My Election) mobile application from the Play Store or App Store.

For in-person registration, the Board has distributed tablets to election officials stationed at polling centers across the country to facilitate the process.

Digital registration will be prioritized in areas with 3G or higher internet connectivity, a system being implemented in coordination with Ethio Telecom.

As part of preparations for the election scheduled for June 1, 2026, the Board has also unveiled the official symbols of competing political parties and confirmed that all parties have signed the Candidates’ Code of Ethics and Conduct, which is intended to promote responsible campaigning and uphold electoral integrity throughout the election period.