Millions of Ethiopians Head to Polling Stations as Voting Begins in 7th General Election

Addis Ababa, June 1, 2026 (FMC) — Millions of Ethiopians began heading to polling stations across the country early Monday as voting officially opened in the nation’s 7th General Election, marking the start of one of the largest democratic exercises in Africa.

Polling stations opened at 6:00 a.m. local time in accordance with the timetable set by the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), launching a nationwide voting process expected to involve more than 54 million registered voters.

The election is being conducted at approximately 52,000 polling stations established across the country, where voters are casting ballots to elect representatives to the House of Peoples’ Representatives and regional councils.

The opening of voting follows months of voter registration, candidate nominations, political campaigning, public debates, and extensive logistical preparations carried out by the Election Board and relevant stakeholders ahead of election day.

According to NEBE, candidates from 42 political parties, alongside independent contenders, are participating in the election. More than 10,900 candidates are contesting seats at federal and regional levels, reflecting the scale and competitiveness of the electoral process.

Election officials, political party agents, accredited domestic observers, and international election observation missions were present at polling stations as voting commenced across different parts of the country.

Among the observer groups monitoring the process is the African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM), led by former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and deputised by former Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama. The mission has deployed observers across Ethiopia to assess key stages of the electoral process, including the opening of polling stations, voting procedures, the closing of polls, and vote counting.

The African Union mission comprises observers from 37 African countries, including election management officials, civil society representatives, election experts, human rights specialists, media practitioners, gender experts, and youth representatives. The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has also deployed an election observation mission to monitor the vote.

Security agencies have meanwhile put in place extensive arrangements to support the peaceful, orderly, and secure conduct of the election. Authorities have called on citizens to participate responsibly and contribute to a calm electoral environment throughout the voting process.

The election is taking place against a backdrop of heightened public anticipation, with citizens across the country expressing readiness in recent days to exercise their democratic rights and take part in shaping the country’s political future.

Given the scale of voter participation, the breadth of political competition, and the presence of continental observation missions, the election is being closely watched both within Ethiopia and across Africa.

As polling stations begin receiving voters nationwide, Ethiopians are casting ballots in a process that will determine representation in federal and regional legislative institutions for the next electoral term.