The National Board of Elections of Ethiopia (NEBE) has announced the closure of 143 polling stations in parts of the Oromia and Amhara regions due to ongoing security concerns. NEBE Chairperson Melatework Hailu disclosed during a press briefing that these stations, which had initially commenced preparations for the 7th general election, were forced to halt operations to guarantee public safety.
In addition to the security-related closures, Chairperson Melatework acknowledged significant delays in the newly implemented digital registration process. These technical glitches have caused prolonged waiting times and voter frustration at various centers. On behalf of the board, the Chairperson issued an official apology to the public, emphasizing that NEBE is actively deploying technical teams to rectify the system slowdowns and expedite voter processing.
The electoral board is also grappling with severe communication bottlenecks in other parts of the country. In Benishangul-Gumuz, specifically within the Zelmem and Sedal areas of the Metekel Zone, widespread network outages have disrupted critical communication channels. This connectivity failure has presented a major challenge for NEBE, severely hindering its ability to exchange real-time updates and log electoral data from the field.
Despite these localized disruptions and infrastructural hurdles, NEBE maintained that voting is proceeding in thousands of other polling stations across the nation. The board reiterated its commitment to managing the challenges dynamically, ensuring that eligible voters in unaffected areas can cast their ballots securely.
Security agencies and technical task forces remain on high alert to stabilize the affected zones and restore system functionality. Moving forward, NEBE aims to coordinate closely with regional authorities to determine if the closed stations can safely reopen or if alternative voting arrangements will be required for the displaced electorates.