Ethiopia to Introduce Digital Voter and Candidate Registration Ahead of 2026 Election

Ethiopia’s upcoming 7th national election will introduce digital voter and candidate registration for the first time. Melatwork Hailu, Chairperson of the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) said digital platforms have been developed in-house to facilitate the registration process. Around 64 political parties have assigned “system administrators” to receive training from the board and remotely conduct candidate registration per the election calendar, according to the Chairperson. The training will be given over two days, starting on December 31.

Call centers and onsite troubleshooting teams will support candidates who encounter challenges during self-registration, Melatwork said during a press briefing held Tuesday at the Skylight Hotel. Candidates can begin campaigning immediately after self-registration up until four days before election day. A full list of registered candidates will be made public starting from February 11.

While digital voter registration will be introduced, the Board is also continuing the manual process in areas where it remains unfeasible; a full list delineating the centers will be made public on the eighth of January. Voters can self-register through a mobile application or a web platform or visit election centers for assisted registration using tablets. Digital self-registration will begin 15 days before manual and assisted registration launches.  Melatwork emphasized that the board is digitizing the registration process and is not starting electronic voting.

“We have to be clear on that point,” she emphasized.

The Chairperson also stressed that no new identification document would be required in the registration process, with residential ID, passports, and witness attestations remaining viable.

Candidate registration is set to begin January 9 and will last a month, while voter registration is set to follow six days after candidates finish, lasting the same duration. A comprehensive list of all viable voting centers will be made public on January 28. Election day is set for Monday, June 1, 2026, while official results will be unveiled ten days later.

Melatwork underscored that assessments will continue up until the final days of the election calendar to determine where security conditions may make voting unfeasible in some parts of the country. She said the Board will not make these judgments alone, but will work closely with relevant stakeholders. To support this process, NEBE has introduced a three-tier color system, ranging from green to red, allowing regional states to report on their readiness to conduct elections.