Ballot Draw Ceremony Underway for Ethiopia’s Seventh General Election

Addis Ababa, March 23, 2026 (ENA) — The draw ceremony to determine the order of names and symbols of political parties and independent candidates registered with the National Election Board of Ethiopia on the ballot paper is currently underway.

The draw ceremony to determine the ballot order of political parties and independent candidates is underway, marking a key step in preparations for Ethiopia’s upcoming Seventh General Election.

Chairperson of the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), Melatwork Hailu, affirmed that the Board is advancing comprehensive preparatory activities to ensure the smooth conduct of the vote.

She stated that the Board is working in close coordination with civil society organizations, political parties, the media, security institutions and other stakeholders throughout the process.

Melatwork confirmed that the registration of candidates nominated by political parties has been completed and that candidate lists have been officially posted in their respective constituencies.

According to her, responses are being provided to complaints submitted during the process and voter registration is currently ongoing, with more than 18 million citizens registered as of data compiled four days ago.

The Chairperson explained that voter registration is being conducted both digitally and manually, noting that manual registration is being implemented in areas facing system and network challenges.

She further indicated that election materials have already been distributed to 46,757 polling stations across the country.

According to the Board, 47 political parties are registered, with a total of 10,934 candidates fielded. Of these, 2,098 are contesting seats in the House of Peoples’ Representatives, while 8,736 are running for regional council positions.

In addition, 73 candidates have registered to compete as independent contenders.