Addis Ababa, June 1, 2026 (FMC) — The National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has confirmed the completion of the scheduled voting hours for the 7th General Election, while extending the process to allow all voters who were in line by midday to cast their ballots.
NEBE said polling stations opened at 6:00 a.m. on Monday, June 1, 2026, marking the start of voting across the country, with millions of citizens participating in Ethiopia’s 7th General Election.
In accordance with Article 49(4) of Proclamation No. 1162/2011, which allows voting time to be extended in exceptional circumstances, the Board stated that voting will continue until all voters who were in queue by 12:00 p.m. complete casting their ballots.
The development comes as voting has been underway nationwide throughout the day, with more than 50,000 polling stations opened across the country and millions of registered voters already participating.
Earlier updates from NEBE indicated that election materials had been distributed nationwide ahead of time, with polling stations operating under the supervision of election officials, observers, and party representatives.
Throughout the day, domestic and international observers have been deployed across thousands of polling stations, monitoring the electoral process alongside representatives of competing political parties and independent candidates.
NEBE has described the overall process as progressing in most areas under established electoral procedures, with voting continuing in an orderly manner as the exercise moves into its final phase.