Mogadishu — Somalia has begun preparations for the production of voting cards for upcoming local elections, marking a key step in the country’s transition toward a one-person, one-vote electoral system, the head of the National Electoral Committee said on Monday.

Briefing national political associations, NEC Chairman Abdikarin Ahmed Hassan outlined progress on voter registration and the expansion of the electoral process to 35 districts across the federal member states. He said district assembly elections will proceed in 21 of those districts, with the printing of voting cards scheduled to begin imminently.

The expansion represents a significant shift away from Somalia’s traditional clan-based power-sharing system toward direct local elections at the district level. The chairman also announced that representatives from the Banadir Region will be sworn in at the regional parliament, a move intended to formalize local governance structures and enable councils to commence leadership elections.

The NEC reaffirmed its commitment to meeting the 2026 electoral timelines despite ongoing challenges and urged political associations to mobilize their supporters and engage constructively in what it described as a transparent and inclusive voter registration process across the regional states.