Ethiopians voted in a general election on June 1, 2026, with most polling stations operating but security incidents preventing voting from resuming at 143 locations in Oromia and Amhara.
Melatework Hailu, head of the electoral commission, said incidents had been reported at polling stations in the two volatile regions. Balloting restarted at some affected sites but not at the remaining 143, according to the Associated Press. It was unclear from the cited reporting whether voters unable to participate would receive another opportunity. No further details about the incidents were provided.
Voting proceeded at about 50,000 other polling stations. More than 50 million people were registered out of an estimated national population of 130 million. The election covered more than 500 seats in the House of Representatives as well as positions on local government councils.
Under Ethiopia’s federal parliamentary system, voters do not directly elect the prime minister. Members chosen for the federal parliament select the head of government, meaning the distribution of legislative seats determines which party or coalition can form the government.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party entered the contest as the governing party and was widely expected to win a majority, according to AP. Such a result would enable Abiy to remain in office for another five-year term. A heavy military presence was observed in Addis Ababa, while watchdogs called for peaceful voting.
Broad field, uneven participation
The National Election Board of Ethiopia said 47 political parties and more than 10,900 candidates were competing. That total included 2,198 federal parliamentary candidates, 8,736 candidates for regional and city councils, and 73 independents. Women represented around half of registered voters, while a national median age of about 19, based on UN population estimates, indicated that young Ethiopians formed a substantial part of the electorate.
The field included the Prosperity Party, the Amhara-focused National Movement of Amhara, the national Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice party and the Peace for Ethiopia coalition of smaller regional parties. Regional organisations and independent candidates also contested constituency-based races.
Participation was not nationwide. Tigray again took no part, leaving the region without federal representation after six years and following prolonged friction with the federal government, including armed conflict. Fighting and insecurity in Tigray, Oromia and Amhara placed national reconciliation among the election’s central themes.
Opposition parties alleged that the political space had narrowed and that they had been obstructed from campaigning. Human rights defender Noah Yesuf told AP that he considered the election illegitimate because, in his view, opposition parties lacked a level playing field and citizens did not have an adequate environment for free participation. the cited reports did not include a government response to those allegations.
Accounts from voters also suggested mixed public sentiment. Some expressed disillusionment with politicians, while Addis Ababa shopkeeper Senait Dereje, 37, said she still believed voting mattered despite uncertainty about whether it would improve her livelihood. Results were expected later Monday, according to AP.
