IGAD to Deploy Regional Election Observers for Ethiopia’s June 1 Vote

Addis Ababa, May 19, 2026 —IGAD is making preparations to observe Ethiopia’s General Election scheduled to take place on June 1, 2026, according to Commander Abebe Muluneh, IGAD Peace and Security Division Director.

"We are preparing to observe the election in Ethiopia by deploying experts from the region," he told ENA, adding that experts from Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda are invited to observe the election.

The Director stated that the regional bloc, invited by the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is preparing to deploy the experts from neighboring countries.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) mission aims to assess whether the voting process meets regional and international standards, it was learned.

According to Commander Abebe, this will help the government to conduct a fair and free election.

"We, of course, support fair and free election in general; and we promote the democratization and good governance in our region, including Ethiopia,” he elaborated.

The Director stated that the IGAD’s observers will monitor polling-day procedures and the counting of ballots, providing an independent appraisal.

“For that reason, we are in a process just to have the election observation mission here in Ethiopia,” Commander Abebe said, underscoring the regional body’s commitment to supporting transparent and credible elections.

Ethiopia’s upcoming vote is viewed as a critical milestone in the country’s democratic transition, with domestic and international attentions on the conduct and credibility of the process.

 

Meanwhile, the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) announced that more than 50 million citizens have registered to vote in the upcoming national election, despite financial and operational challenges reported in some parts of the country.

According to NEBE Chairperson Melatwork Hailu, a total of 50,514,155 voters have been registered.

More than 45.1 million voters were registered manually, while the remaining voters completed digital registration.

The voter roll includes over 27.3 million men and more than 23.1 million women, the Board disclosed, noting that the voter registration period officially closed today.

Election preparations are currently underway nationwide, with approximately 195,316 personnel deployed to support the process. Officials said around 70,000 election workers have so far received payments totaling one billion Birr.

 

NEBE also reported that 48,829 polling stations have been established across the country, including 46,352 main polling stations, 1,500 sub-stations, and 2,477 additional voting sites. A total of 614 constituencies are expected to participate in the election.

The Board further disclosed that 81 million Birr has been distributed to 36 political parties to support their participation in the election process.

 

The June 1 vote is expected to serve as an important test of Ethiopia’s democratic reforms, with election observers, political parties, civil society organizations, and international partners closely watching the conduct, inclusiveness, and credibility of the electoral process.