The National Election Board of Ethiopia has extended the voter registration period as it prepares for the upcoming by-elections in various regions.
Scheduled for June 16, 2024, these by-elections will take place in Benishangul, Gumuz, and Afar regions, alongside Jigjiga 2, Meskan, and Mareko constituencies.
Initially slated from April 29 to May 13, 2024, the voter registration process encountered delays due to overlapping public and religious holidays.
Consequently, some polling stations failed to open on time, prompting requests from political parties to extend the registration deadline. Responding to these concerns, the board extended the voter registration period until May 20, 2024.
Similarly, the candidate registration schedule, originally set from April 29 to May 8, 2024, faced hurdles as certain political parties encountered difficulties in registering their candidates within the stipulated timeframe.
Acknowledging these challenges, the board granted an extension until May 14, 2024, to facilitate the registration process.
In addition to the by-elections, the National Election Board of Ethiopia is gearing up for elections in regions previously affected by security concerns, such as Benishangul Gumz.
Furthermore, elections are slated for 29 constituencies in Somalia and Central Ethiopia regions.
The election program outlines plans for nine houses of representatives and twenty-six state houses, reflecting the breadth of electoral participation across the country.
Scheduled for June 13, 2024, the election day will witness voter turnout and the casting of ballots across the four regions.
Post-election procedures will entail the announcement of results at polling stations on June 21 and June 22, 2024, marking the culmination of the electoral process and the determination of representative leadership for the regions involved.
The announcement of election results will follow a structured timeline: preliminary results will be declared at the polling stations on June 13 and June 14, 2024.
Provisional results will then be announced at the constituency level between June 16 and June 18, 2024, with the final and board-confirmed announcement of election results scheduled for June 23, 2024.
The board’s decision to conduct elections in these regions stems from previous electoral challenges. In the 2021 national election, certain constituencies in the Amhara region could not proceed due to security issues, while remaining constituencies in the region continue to face challenges, leading to the decision not to hold elections there.
Similarly, elections in the Tigray region were disrupted by the ongoing conflict, and those conducted were deemed invalid by the board.
During the June 22, 2021 national election, the House of People’s Representatives secured 410 seats, with the Gedeo People’s Democratic Organization winning two seats in the southern region.
The National Election Board reported that 39 million voters were registered across all constituencies, with a total expenditure of 847 million birr.
As Ethiopia gears up for these critical elections, the country braces for a pivotal moment in its democratic journey.
Five members of the opposition party who won this election and are serving as members of the House of Legislation at federal and regional council representatives are currently in prison.
