More Than 42 Million Citizens Register to Vote in 2026

Over 42 million Ethiopians registered to vote for the 7th General Election via in-person and digital registration, including the Mirchaye mobile application.

April 9, 2026

Ethiopia's National Election Board (NEBE) reported that more than 42 million citizens successfully registered to vote in the 7th General Election scheduled for June 1, 2026. The voter registration campaign ran from March 7 to April 8, 2026.

For the first time in Ethiopia's electoral history, citizens were able to register both in person at designated registration centres and digitally through the "Mirchaye" (My Election) mobile application, a significant technological innovation introduced by NEBE to improve accessibility and reach.

Voter registration highlights:

Total registered voters: over 42 million
Registration period: March 7 – April 8, 2026
In-person registration centres: nationwide
Digital registration: via Mirchaye mobile app
Polling stations planned: 40,000 – 52,720

The Mirchaye application allowed eligible voters to complete the registration process from their smartphones, reducing the need to travel to physical registration points. NEBE reported that digital registrations accounted for a notable proportion of the total, particularly among urban youth voters.

NEBE Chairperson Birtukan Midekssa described the registration turnout as "an encouraging signal of public interest and engagement in the democratic process." She called on all registered voters to participate peacefully on election day and to report any irregularities to NEBE's complaint-handling mechanisms.

The board confirmed that the final voter roll would be publicly displayed at each polling station prior to election day, enabling citizens to verify their registration status.