Addis Ababa — Ethiopia's National Election Board of Ethiopia said on Friday that voter registration for the country's upcoming 7th general elections has surpassed 18.5 million, signaling steady progress in preparations for the national vote.

The board said a total of 18,556,337 voters had been registered as of March 19, following the launch of the registration process on March 7. The exercise is scheduled to continue until April 6.

Registration is being conducted both in person and through digital platforms, as authorities aim to expand participation across the country.

Of the total registered voters, 10,133,639 are men and 8,422,698 are women, according to the board's latest figures.

The election body also said it has deployed 187,028 election officials nationwide to support the registration process. The officials were vetted by competing political parties to help ensure neutrality and safeguard the credibility of the exercise.

The voter registration drive is a key step ahead of Ethiopia's 7th general elections, with authorities seeking to boost turnout and strengthen confidence in the electoral process.

(Reporting by Horn Diplomat; Editing by Desk)