Association Reports Largely Peaceful Vote, Flags Gender Gaps, Registration Issues

Jun 7 , 2026.

The Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA) says the 7th National and Regional Elections held on June 1, 2026 were largely peaceful, orderly, and transparent, based on its preliminary monitoring report.

Deploying 60 observers across 136 polling stations in nine regions and two city administrations, EWLA’s Violence Against Women in Elections (VAW-E) mission found strong voter protection measures, with 92.5pc of stations prioritising pregnant women, nursing mothers, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.

However, the report shows persistent structural gaps, including low female leadership in polling stations, only 24.3pc of chairpersons were women, and 27.9pc of stations lacking women in any oversight role. It also noted minor registration inconsistencies, with 7.4pc of stations reporting missing names and 2.2pc showing mismatches between digital and paper rolls.

While 97.8pc of voting environments were peaceful, EWLA documented three incidents of psychological violence targeting women, alongside isolated logistical delays caused by heavy rainfall in Assosa. Counting was described as transparent overall, though one observer was denied access during the process.

EWLA concluded that while election day operations were largely successful, lasting electoral fairness will depend on closing gender leadership gaps, improving voter registry accuracy, and ensuring equal access for all groups. A full report will follow after data verification.

PUBLISHED ON Jun 07,2026 [ VOL 27 , NO 1362]