Galmudug Voters Turn Out for Repeat One-Person, One-Vote Election

GOOBJOOG NEWS | DHUUSAMAREEB: Voters across  Galmudug state began casting ballots on Wednesday in a repeat one-person, one-vote election, with long queues reported in major towns including Dhusamareeb, Guriceel, Adado and Gaalkacyo.

Polling stations opened as voters turned out early to participate in elections for Galmudug’s House of Representatives and local councils, with voting also planned in smaller towns and villages across the state.

In the state capital Dhusamareeb and other major population centres, election officials were preparing ballot boxes and other voting materials as security personnel were deployed around polling stations.

The National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC) set September 30 as the date for the repeat election, with preparations under way from the early hours of Wednesday.

The poll is a rerun of Galmudug’s July 30 election after Somalia’s Supreme Court annulled the earlier results and ordered a fresh vote following what it described as administrative irregularities.

The repeat election is therefore being closely watched as Galmudug seeks to complete the electoral process and advance Somalia’s broader transition towards direct voting.

The turnout includes voters taking part in a one-person, one-vote election for the first time, reflecting the wider shift away from Somalia’s previous indirect electoral arrangements.

Authorities have deployed security forces at polling centres, while election officials oversee the voting process across the state.