NEBE Says Majority of Constituencies Have Declared Election Results
Addis Ababa, June 6, 2026 (FMC) — The National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has announced that about 825 of the targeted 1,138 constituencies have declared their election results.
Briefing the media today, NEBE Chairperson Melatwork Hailu said vote counting has continued across polling stations under the various constituencies.
She explained that the distance between polling stations and constituency centers, the large number of candidates, and the high volume of polling stations have contributed to delays in transferring vote counts.
Despite these challenges, the Chairperson affirmed that the transmission of vote counts to constituency offices has been progressing smoothly.
Melatwork also noted that the Board has established multiple platforms for receiving election-related complaints and has been responding to them promptly and in accordance with the law.
She stated that NEBE has addressed the various complaints submitted throughout the electoral process based on the nature of each complaint and in line with the country’s electoral legal framework.
The Chairperson further commended the contributions of both local and international election observers and welcomed the constructive recommendations they have put forward.
More than 10,438 candidates from 42 political parties contested seats in the House of People’s Representatives and regional councils in what has been described as the largest and most administratively sophisticated exercise of democratic participation in Ethiopia’s history.
The African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Election Observation Missions to Ethiopia’s 2026 general election also commended the poll as a significant milestone in the country’s democratic and electoral development during a joint presentation of their preliminary findings on Wednesday.
The AU Election Observation Mission, comprising 83 observers from 37 African countries and led by former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, assessed the election as having been conducted within a legal and institutional framework that broadly supports democratic governance.
Similarly, the IGAD Election Observation Mission, led by former Ugandan Vice President Speciosa Wandira-Kazibwe, stated in its preliminary report that ballot boxes were properly sealed at every polling station observed, party agents were present throughout the process, and the election demonstrated significant institutional, administrative, and technological progress.
Following the successful conclusion of the general election, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed expressed appreciation to all Ethiopian citizens who took part in the vote, NEBE and its more than 350,000 election officials, the security forces that safeguarded the electoral process, and the African and regional observer missions whose presence underscored Ethiopia’s commitment to democratic accountability.