By Asha Elmi - Reporter
Somalia, July 30 2026 – Somalia's election commission said on Thursday that results from Galmudug's direct elections are expected within the next 24 to 48 hours after polling concluded peacefully and vote counting got underway across the central federal member state.
Abdikarim Ahmed Hassan, chairman of the National Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (NIEBC), said most polling stations had closed after a 12-hour vote, while a small number remained open beyond the scheduled closing time to allow voters already in line to cast their ballots.
"Vote counting will now begin, and once counting is completed, the results will be posted at each polling station before they are consolidated. We expect to announce the results within the next 24 to 48 hours," Hassan told a news conference in Dhusamareb.
He said the voting process had been conducted peacefully, transparently and in accordance with Somalia's electoral laws and procedures, praising voters, election workers, security forces, political organisations, observers and the media for their role in the process.
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The commission said it was monitoring reports circulating on social media during polling and warned that some posts appeared intended to mislead the public and undermine confidence in the electoral process.
Hassan said preliminary investigations indicated that some of the alleged misinformation had been linked to supporters and candidates from political parties, adding that complaints should be submitted through official legal channels rather than through social media.
The commission also said it had identified cases in which some political parties had appointed election candidates as their representatives inside polling stations, contrary to electoral procedures. Hassan said such individuals were being removed from those roles and that any violations of election laws or the code of conduct would be investigated and dealt with in accordance with the law.
More than 270,000 registered voters were eligible to cast ballots across 11 districts in elections for 243 local council seats and 89 seats in the Galmudug House of Representatives, according to figures released by the commission before the vote. The elections are the latest phase of Somalia's transition toward direct, multiparty elections after decades of indirect voting.