Somalia launches voter registration ahead of 2026 one-person, one-vote elections

 Somalia launches voter registration ahead of 2026 one-person, one-vote elections

Somalia’s National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC) launched voter registration on Tuesday in Mogadishu, marking a historic step toward the country’s first one-person, one-vote elections since 1967, scheduled for 2026.

The registration began in Shangani district, where hundreds of residents lined up to receive voter ID cards. Senior government officials, including the mayor of Mogadishu, were among the first to register.

The chairperson of the NIEBC, Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan,  announced the official start of the registration process and confirmed that additional districts in Mogadishu will begin registration in the coming days. 

“Today is the first step in a nationwide process. We are committed to ensuring that every eligible Somali has the chance to vote,” he said.

Deputy Governor for Security and Politics of the Banadir Regional Administration, Mohamed Ahmed Diiriye (Yabooh), praised the launch as a turning point for the country. “This registration process puts to rest the long-standing myth that elections cannot be held in Somalia,” he said.

The NIEBC commended the strong coordination with local authorities and security forces, which it said was essential to ensuring a peaceful and orderly registration process. Officials urged citizens to seize the opportunity to register and participate in the democratic process.

The local elections—expected to take place in June and July—are part of a push by Somalia’s federal government to transition away from the 4.5 clan-based power-sharing system, which allocated parliamentary representation to the four dominant clans and a half-share to minority groups.

The last national election, held in 2022, followed the indirect model, in which clan elders and regional leaders selected members of parliament. Somalia has not held direct elections since 1967.

Despite the optimism surrounding the launch, the process has drawn criticism from opposition figures. Former Presidents Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed (Farmaajo) have accused the federal government of pushing forward unilaterally, and described it as an exclusionary process.