Coalition Spotlights Security Failures, Accessibility Shortcomings In Voter Registration Process | The Reporter Ethiopia

The Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations Coalition for Election (CECOE) said on Tuesday that the voter registration process for the country’s seventh general election was marred by repeated digital system failures, limited accessibility for people with disabilities, and security incidents including killings, abductions and intimidation targeting election officials.

The coalition, which is accredited by the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), deployed 522 long-term observers to nearly 4,400 voter registration centers across all regional states and city administrations, with the exception of Tigray. This included 443 stations where registration was conducted electronically.

CECOE reports most stations complied with legal requirements regarding location. The report notes that while 97 percent of registration centers were established in legally authorized sites, the remainder operated from prohibited locations, including military camps, police facilities, religious institutions, health centers, bars, hotels, political party offices and private residences.

– Advertisement –

The coalition also reported repeated interruptions in the voter registration process. A third of manual registration centers and more than a quarter of digital centers experienced at least one interruption during the registration period, according to CECOE.

The coalition identified accessibility as one of the most significant shortcomings of the registration process. Only 12 percent of manual registration stations and 23 percent of tablet-based stations were independently accessible to people with disabilities, according to the findings. Similarly, only 11 percent of manual centers and 20 percent of digital centers were accessible to elderly people, pregnant women, and parents carrying infants.

Despite those shortcomings, the coalition said most registration centers were considered reasonably accessible and secure for women. About 90 percent of both manual and tablet-based registration stations were found to be suitable for female voters in terms of distance from residential areas and security conditions.

The report also documented a series of violent incidents targeting election officials and personnel during the registration period.

– Advertisement –

CECOE recorded one killing of an election official in East Gojjam Zone of the Amhara region, as well as two attempted killings in Awi and Wag Himra zones. The coalition also documented seven abductions in parts of Amhara, Oromia and South Ethiopia regions, one physical assault in Sidama region, and six intimidation incidents across several zones.

Although the incidents represented a small fraction of observed sites, the coalition warned that violence and intimidation remained a serious concern for the integrity of the electoral process.

The report also pointed to weak political party and civil society participation in the monitoring process.

Political party representatives were present at only 14 percent of both manual and tablet-based registration stations observed by CECOE. Independent civil society observers, excluding CECOE’s own monitors, were present at just 8 percent of manual registration centers and 12 percent of tablet-based stations.

The coalition further reported procedural irregularities at some registration centers, including the registration of voters without identity verification, the registration of individuals who were not physically present, and the presence of unauthorized individuals inside registration sites.

CECOE urged election officials to urgently strengthen the infrastructure of the digital registration system to address repeated technical failures. It also called on NEBE to take legal action against violations of voter registration procedures and to ensure that polling stations established for election day are accessible to people with disabilities and voters with limited mobility.

The coalition recommended that security forces provide stronger protection for election officials, voters and observers, while regional governments were urged to ensure that polling stations comply with legal standards and provide adequate shelter from sun and rain.

CECOE also called on political parties and civil society organizations to deploy more party agents and observers on election day to improve transparency, inclusiveness and accountability in the electoral process.