Following the conclusion of Ethiopia’s 7th General Election, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Election Observation Mission (IGADEOM)
has released its preliminary report. While the report praised the country’s major strides in technology, it conversely called for clear improvements to be made to the physical voting infrastructure.

Chief among the mission’s primary recommendations is a request for the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) to standardize and simplify the voter identification system, as well as to significantly lower the maximum voter capacity handled per polling station to align with international best practices.

Although this election was widely hailed as an “Election of Many Firsts” due to the use of the locally developed Mirchaye digital registration system and several other sectors, severe crowding was observed in the physical voting process on Election Day (June 1). According to regional observers, the high voter turnout resulted in long and tedious queues, particularly in major urban centers such as Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa.

As congestion worsened into the evening, the Election Board was forced to issue an emergency 6-hour extension, keeping doors open until midnight so that all interested citizens could cast their votes.

The head of the delegation, former Ugandan Vice President Dr. Wandira Speciosa Kazibwe, expressed her appreciation for the immense patience shown by the Ethiopian public who waited in lines until midnight, but pointed out that this time extension exposed a major operational vulnerability.

Under current Ethiopian law, the number of voters accommodated at a single polling station can reach up to 1,500. The IGAD observation team warned in its report that such a high limit naturally creates logistical delays, exhausts local election officials, and reduces the efficiency of the voting process.

To resolve this issue, the IGAD observation team put forward several resolutions for the improvement of future electoral processes.
Consequently, it called upon the Election Board, noting that it is essential to limit the number of voters registered per polling station to a maximum of 1,000 to align with international standards.

On the other hand, IGAD urged that the total number of physical polling stations and centers across the country must be significantly increased to reduce voter volume, and that the voter identification structure should be standardized and simplified to help speed up the queues.

This structural bottleneck was just one of several challenges cited by the observation team. Due to high security risks, the general election could not be conducted uniformly across the entire federation. A total of 46 constituencies were excluded from the democratic process, 8 of which are located in the Amhara region and 38 in the conflict-affected Tigray region.
Additionally, the report pointed out a lack of women’s representation, noting that female participation as candidates was low and that their representation in leadership roles, such as polling station managers, was extremely limited.

Nevertheless, IGAD stated that NEBE’s administrative foundation—which registered more than 54 million voters and coordinated 195,000 election professionals—is a major step forward for democracy in the Horn of Africa’s most populous nation.

The African Union Election Observation Mission (AUEOM) has released its preliminary findings on Ethiopia’s seventh general election, praising the significant strides made toward democratic consolidation while expressing deep concerns over the suspension of the electoral process in 46 constituencies.

The areas where the voting process was suspended are primarily located in the Tigray and Amhara regions, where voters were prevented from exercising their democratic rights due to security disruptions.

In a statement delivered on June 3, 2026, regarding the team’s preliminary assessment of the 7th general election, Uhuru Kenyatta, leader of the African Union Election Observation Mission and former President of Kenya, expressed concern that the suspension of these constituencies could undermine the overall inclusiveness of the electoral process.

“The mission noted the suspension of polling in 46 constituencies, notably in the Tigray and Amhara regions, which potentially affected the inclusiveness of the electoral process and undermined the full exercise of the right to vote due to the prevailing security situation,” the mission leader stated.

However, the Union commended the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) for its commitment to proceed with elections in these excluded constituencies once a conducive and reliable security environment is ensured.

Apart from regional security challenges, the African Union Election Observation Mission commended the overall electoral process, noting that the atmosphere across most parts of the country on Election Day was peaceful and orderly.

The mission lauded the high level of professionalism demonstrated by election officials and security personnel, stating that it reflects the Election Board’s commitment to administrative impartiality.

Furthermore, it was noted that the implementation of digital technology alongside the standard voter registration process contributed to an increase in the number of young voters.

Despite these positive indicators, the African Union mission emphasized that democracy is a continuous process of refinement.

Chief among their technical concerns was the administrative burden placed on individual polling stations. The mission labeled the maximum threshold of 1,500 registered voters per polling station as “undoubtedly too high,” pointing out that it hindered workload management and created structural bottlenecks. In some instances, overcrowding at polling stations not only disrupted the workflow but also compromised the secrecy of the ballot.

To address these deficiencies, the African Union offered preliminary recommendations, stating that it is necessary to reduce and standardize the maximum number of registered voters per polling station to ensure efficiency.

Uhuru Kenyatta pointed out the need to reconfigure the layout of ballot boxes and voting booths to protect the secrecy of the vote and ease voter movement. He also called for the implementation of targeted strategies to address the low registration numbers observed among women, who constitute a critical demographic.

The comprehensive and final report containing the full details of the mission’s findings is expected to be released to the public 30 days after the official declaration of the final election results.

The European Union, alongside several other international partners, announced that they welcome the holding of the 7th General Elections in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, which took place on June 1, 2026. It was indicated that this joint local statement showcases a unified front comprising the Delegation of the European Union to Ethiopia and the diplomatic missions of twenty-two EU Member States.

It has been understood that the participating European countries listed in the statement are Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.

Demonstrating the wide-reaching international interest in Ethiopia’s democratic process, the diplomatic missions of Canada, Norway, and Switzerland also co-signed the statement. This international coalition expressed its strong support for the institutions and individuals who facilitated the voting process across the nation.

Specifically, the statement commended the extensive efforts of the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) and the thousands of dedicated election workers deployed at polling stations.

Furthermore, the diplomatic missions recognized the significant contributions of the political parties and individual candidates who participated in the democratic contest, as well as civil society actors who worked to enhance civic engagement and monitor the electoral environment.

The signatories also highlighted the critical role played by regional observation bodies present on election day, acknowledging the contributions of the African Union (AU) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), while noting that they look forward to reviewing the comprehensive reports from these observer missions to better understand the overall conduct and fairness of the election.

While the statement was largely positive regarding the execution of the June 1 polls, it also raised an important issue that still requires attention for the country’s democratic journey.

Recognizing that the voting process could be disrupted in certain areas due to various reasons, the coalition put forward a forward-looking appeal to ensure that the full right to vote is guaranteed.

The partners concluded their statement by expressing their collective hope that all citizens in the remaining Ethiopian constituencies who were unable to vote on June 1 will be given the opportunity to cast their ballots in the near future, ensuring that no citizen is left without a voice.

The United States Department of State plans to drastically slash the number of its embassies and consulates processing visas for foreign nationals across the African continent. This decision is part of the Trump administration’s broader, stringent crackdown on immigration and visa issuance.

Currently, nearly 50 U.S. embassies and consulates in Africa process visa applications; however, the new plan aims to reduce this number to just 20. According to Associated Press (AP), while an exact start date has not been set, the change is expected to take effect in the coming weeks, likely in June.

Under a directive approved last week by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, only 20 designated “hubs” will continue full visa operations. According to this list, Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, has avoided the service cuts and has been identified as a vital hub that will continue to offer full visa services.

In addition to Addis Ababa, the list of remaining hubs includes Accra (Ghana), Nairobi (Kenya), Cape Town and Johannesburg (South Africa), Dakar (Senegal), and Djibouti (Djibouti).

This new policy will heavily impact citizens living in non-hub nations. Because U.S. consulates in those countries will halt routine visa processing, applicants will be forced to travel across international borders to one of the 20 designated hubs just to attend a visa interview.

This has raised widespread concerns over formidable travel expenses, logistical hardships, and severe processing delays for applicants. Nevertheless, embassies in non-hub countries will not close entirely; they will remain open to handle emergency services for American citizens, passport renewals, and rare, special diplomatic cases.

The move aligns with the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to curb immigration to the U.S. and clamp down on individuals who travel on temporary visas but overstay their permitted time. Visa processing in Africa has already faced previous hurdles, including travel bans on specific countries, a requirement for some applicants to post up to a $15,000 bond, and recent restrictions tied to Ebola outbreaks.