Voting

Election, it is a formal process by which Voters make their political choice on public office or candidates for public office. Regular elections serve to hold leaders accountable for their performance and permit an exchange of influence between the governor and the governed. The availability of alternatives is a necessary condition. Ethiopia follows the system of majority vote meaning any party or private candidate who gets the majority vote will hold an office and organize the executive branch.

Why Do We Vote?

1. To facilitate and to foster development
2. To ensure that good policy and strategy will be applied in the country.
3. To enable people to implement the policy of their preference.
4. To foster good governance.
5. To exercise our democratic right.

What do Voters Need to Know during Registration?

1. An elector shall be registered in person.
2. Any person shall be registered once and at one polling station only.
3. Registration shall be held only at the polling station, registration out of polling station is forbidden.

Who is Eligible to Vote?

• Any person who

- is an Ethiopian

- has been residing within the constituencies for at least 6 months.

- is 18 years of age or older on the date of registration.

- has not served a term of imprisonment is eligible to vote.

Requirement of Identity Card for Registration.

• Registration shall be made up on presentation of an identity card or passport.
• Any identity card or passport shall be used for purpose of registration. In the absence of an identity card any document containing recent photograph such as driver's license, a residence certificate, military discharge document and refugee card issued by the UNHCR shall be enough for registration.
• In the absence of the above mentioned documents registration shall be held upon recognition of the elector's identity by electoral officials or through traditional means, in the case of rural areas.

Elector's Card

Any person duly registered shall be issued with an elector's card bearing his name, place of birth, designated polling station, registration number and his signature. The Elector's Card is used to cast votes or to confirm whether the voter has been registered in the polling station or not during election.

Process of Casting Votes

Any person eligible to vote cand vote for the candidate his preference by putting an "X" mark across the symbol of the candidate. On the other hand illiterate electors shall vote by pressing one of their fingerprints in the square corresponding to the candidate for whom they want to vote.

Counting and Announcing Results

Soon after closure of a polling station counting of ballots will be started in accordance with directives to be issued by the board.

• Upon completion of counting, the result of the polling station shall be displayed to the public.