Haiti sets Dec. 13 date for first national election in a decade

PORT-AU-PRINCE — Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) has released the country’s long-awaited election calendar, setting Dec. 13 for the first round of presidential and legislative elections and Feb. 21, 2027, for the runoff, after months of uncertainty over when the country’s first national vote in a decade would take place.

The calendar ends weeks of criticism from political parties and civil society organizations that accused election officials of advancing preparations without publishing a clear timetable.

“The first round includes presidential and legislative elections as well as a popular vote on proposed constitutional reforms,” the Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) said in a press release. 

If held as planned, the vote would be Haiti’s first national election in a decade following the disputed 2015-2016 electoral cycle. The February second round is for local elections and possible presidential and legislative runoffs.

The revised calendar, published July 27 after being submitted to the government four days earlier, replaces a previous timetable that had scheduled the first round for Aug. 30 and the runoff for Dec. 6.

The CEP withdrew that calendar in April at the government’s request while officials revised the country’s electoral framework to align it with a National Pact for Security and the Organization of Elections, signed with political actors, and constitutional reform plans.

Political organizations have long argued that the absence of an official calendar undermined confidence in the electoral process.

In a July 20 memorandum, the coalition Forces Politiques et Sociales de l’Opposition Progressiste — French for “Political and Social Forces of the Progressive Opposition” — which includes dozens of political parties, accused the CEP of advancing isolated electoral steps without presenting a comprehensive roadmap.

“Without a serious electoral calendar, logistical planning, voter registration, the acquisition of sensitive materials, and the training of polling station staff become impossible,” the coalition wrote. “The absence of a precise timeline fuels skepticism among the population and opposition actors.”

Under the new schedule, final election results are expected by March 7, with newly elected officials taking office by March 12, 2027.

Security and funding remain major obstacles as critics say calendar should have come sooner

Despite setting new dates, the CEP warned that elections can proceed only if several conditions are met.

The council said the government must restore security nationwide to allow voters, candidates, election workers and materials to move safely. It also stressed the need to secure the funding necessary to organize the elections.

“These prerequisites are essential to meeting the proposed timeline and organizing credible, inclusive and transparent elections,” the CEP said.

Earlier this month, the CEP and government agreed on a proposed $120 million election budget, but it has yet to receive Cabinet approval or be officially published. Authorities have not disclosed how the funding will be secured or how much international partners are expected to contribute.

Meanwhile, the council has continued preparing for the vote. On July 20, it launched voter registration in nine of Haiti’s 10 departments, excluding the West Department that includes Port-au-Prince, because of widespread gang violence.

The CEP has also completed the recruitment and training of voter registration personnel and electoral security agents. Earlier this month, it approved 316 of 320 political parties to participate in the elections after they met the new membership requirements established under the June 2 electoral decree.

Violence continues to threaten elections

The CEP acknowledged that gang violence remains the greatest threat to organizing credible elections.

According to the United Nations, more than 2,300 people have been killed in Haiti since the beginning of 2026, while armed groups continue to control more than 85% of Port-au-Prince. Illegal gang checkpoints on national highways restrict travel between regions.

Recent attacks illustrate the challenge authorities face in meeting the new timetable. More than 60 people were killed in Kenscoff between July 4 and 9. On July 24, gunmen kidnapped Ecclésiaste Télémaque, chief of staff to the minister of national education, one month after the abduction of James Boyard, chief of staff to the minister of defense, who remains in captivity.

While the revised calendar provides Haiti with its first concrete electoral roadmap in years, observers said whether the country votes on schedule will largely depend on improvements in security and the availability of funding in the months ahead.

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