Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) announced it has postponed the start of the official electoral campaign and extended the candidate registration deadline to October 31. This decision adds further uncertainty to an already lengthy election process that has faced multiple delays.
The changes come after consultations with political entities and the approval of amendments to the June 2 Electoral Decree by the Council of Ministers. The CEP stated that the extension intends to give candidates and political organizations adequate time to fulfill necessary formalities.
“This measure is intended in particular to allow candidates and the political structures concerned to have the necessary time to complete the formalities required under the legal and regulatory framework in force,” the CEP said in a statement. The council also confirmed that revised campaign dates will be released soon as part of an updated electoral calendar.
While the CEP did not specify whether the initial date of December 13 for the first round of presidential and legislative elections will be maintained, it stressed that preparations are underway to revise the electoral timeline, considering changes to the electoral decree and the process’s technical requirements.
This electoral cycle is particularly significant as Haiti has not conducted national elections since 2016, and ongoing political disputes, organizational challenges, and a severe security crisis further complicate the situation. The initial electoral calendar published in July included plans for a second round of voting on February 21, 2027. However, with recent updates, adherence to that schedule is now in question.
The candidate registration deadline had previously been set for October 9, but the CEP’s recent extension allows for both online registration and the submission of required documents until the end of October. The official campaign period, initially slated to begin on October 5, will also be rescheduled, and new dates will be announced after further discussions with political organizations.
As of October 6, preliminary data from the CEP indicated that there are 12 presidential candidates, 271 candidates for the Senate, 852 for the Chamber of Deputies, and approximately 1,670 local election candidates. Voter registration also remains open, with just over 768,000 people registered thus far, representing about 10% of the estimated 7.7 million eligible voters aged 18 and older in the country.
Security continues to pose a significant challenge to the electoral process. During a recent speech to the U.N. Human Rights Council, High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk reported over 5,700 deaths or injuries linked to gang violence in Haiti from January 1 to September 11 of this year. Türk noted the importance of conducting elections to restore constitutional governance, despite the alarming security situation.
The upcoming publication of the revised electoral calendar is anticipated to clarify the current electoral timeline and whether further adjustments are needed. The CEP has indicated that it will finalize changes in consultation with authorized political groups as it seeks to navigate the complexities of the electoral landscape.
