General Right to Vote
Constitution
(June 1994)

• Article 38, section 1 states, “Every Ethiopian national, without discrimination based on colour, race, nation, nationality, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion or other status, has the following rights: (a) To take part in the conduct of public affairs, directly and through freely chosen representatives; (b) On the attainment of 18 years of age to vote in accordance with the law (c) To vote and be elected at periodic elections to any office at ay level of government; elections shll be universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret ballot, guaranteeing the free expression of the will of the electors.”

Election Law
(1965, last amended 2005)

• Article 13, subsection 1 states, “Any election shall be based on free, direct and equal popular suffrage.”

Exclusion Based on Mental Disability
Electoral Law
(1965, last amended 2005)

• Article 20 states, “The following shall not be eligible for registration...1. Notoriously insane persons.”
• Article 14, section 2 states, "Any Ethiopian whose electoral rights are not legally restricted shall be eligible to elect or to be elected."
• Article 37, section 1 states, "Where electors are convicted, rendered insane or deceased courts, hospitals and polling stations, respectively, shall have the duty to forthwith report the incident to the Woreda electoral offices."

Voter Assistance by Other Citizens
Electoral Law
(1965, last amended 2005)

• Article 21, subsection 4 states, “The disabled, other than those specified under Article 20(1) hereinabove, and the blind may be accompanied by their assistants.”
• Article 64, subsection 5 states, “Any elector shall have the right to choose a person who can assist him to mark the ballot paper and put it in the ballot box during the voting process.”
• Article 64, section 6 states, “Electors who are blind or, otherwise, physically disabled may vote accompanied by assistants of their own choice.”

• Constitution - http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/africa/ET/Constitution%28LF1%29.pdf/view
• Electoral Law - http://aceproject.org/ero-en/regions/africa/ET/Eleclaw.pdf/view