ADDIS ABABA, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has announced that more than 36.9 million voters have registered to take part in the country's upcoming general election, scheduled for June 1.
The NEBE said that, out of the total registered voters for the East African country's 7th general election, about 16.84 million are women, while 20.12 million are men, state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporation reported Monday.
Among the registered voters, close to 150,000 people are with disabilities, said the national electoral board. Originally scheduled to conclude in early April, the NEBE has recently extended the registration window to April 22, as preparations advance for the general election.
According to NEBE Chairperson Melatwork Hailu, the voter registration process, which has been conducted through both digital and manual systems, is enabling broader public participation.
The NEBE has previously announced that voter registration has been underway at 46,750 polling stations across the country, with the distribution of election materials largely completed to ensure the smooth conduct of the process.
Earlier this year, the NEBE introduced the country's first-ever digital platform to modernize voter and candidate registration.
The platform, featuring mobile and web-based applications, was said to reflect the NEBE's wider initiative to modernize the country's electoral system through the application of modern technologies. ■