Voters across Galmudug state turned out in large numbers on Thursday as polls opened at 7:00 a.m. in all 11 designated districts for state assembly and House of Representatives elections, marking a pivotal step in the federal member state’s democratic transition after weeks of delay.
The vote, twice postponed at the request of political parties seeking more preparation time, is being watched closely as a test of Somalia’s broader push toward direct, one-person-one-vote elections at the state level. Galmudug follows Banadir and South West State in holding direct polls, part of a national electoral roadmap the federal election commission unveiled earlier this year.
Abdikarin Ahmed Hassan, chairman of the National Independent Electoral Commission, confirmed polling stations opened on schedule and described the atmosphere as calm.
“All 11 districts where we announced elections would take place in the Galmudug region have opened, voting began at 7:00 a.m., and we want to tell Somalis wherever they are that the process has started and will continue as planned,” Hassan said.
More than 200,000 people registered to vote in Galmudug, according to the commission, with most having already collected their voter cards. An earlier registration exercise recorded 215,860 voters across the state’s two regions, Mudug and Galgadud, split roughly 54 percent men and 46 percent women.
Hassan said any registered resident of Galmudug is entitled to vote, using either a physical voter card or a temporary certificate.
Security was tightened around polling districts, with movement restrictions imposed to monitor activity and protect voters, authorities said.
The election had been rescheduled twice. The vote was originally planned for July 25 before being pushed to July 30, with the commission citing requests from political parties for more time to prepare. An earlier date of July 20 had also been shifted after consultations with parties on June 4.
The polls are not without controversy. Galmudug’s regional administration earlier accused Chairman Hassan of joining a campaign linked to a presidential candidate, and demanded guarantees of an impartial electoral process. The commission has not publicly responded to those accusations.
Twelve political parties are fielding 369 candidates for 89 seats in the House of Representatives, while 16 parties have put forward 924 candidates for 243 seats in the regional assembly.
Results are expected to be announced once counting concludes at the district level, though no official timeline has been given.
