Cape Verde Presidential Election 2026: Date and Candidates
CABO VERDE · ELECTION 2026 · GUIDE
Updated 3 times · Latest: 31 October 2026
Live updates: Cabo Verde presidential election, every story as it happens →
Updated 31 October 2026
Cape Verde, an Atlantic archipelago off West Africa, elects its president on Sunday 15 November, and the official campaign opened on Thursday 29 October. A runoff between the top two follows on Sunday 29 November if no one wins an absolute majority.
Six candidates are on the ballot, including the incumbent José Maria Neves and former justice minister Joana Rosa, the two backed by the main parties. Prediction markets, where traders bet real money, give Neves 87.5%, but we found no published opinion poll.
Cabo Verde, also spelled Cape Verde, is a semi-presidential republic where the prime minister runs the government and the president is head of state. On 21 October the election commission also eased early voting for hospital patients and prisoners. Cape Verdeans in the United States can vote in person at consulates and designated sites if they registered by 10 September.
Key Facts
- Election day: Sunday 15 November, polls 4 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET; possible runoff Sunday 29 November
- Candidates: Six, including the incumbent José Maria Neves (governing PAICV) and Joana Rosa (opposition MpD)
- President today: Neves suspended his powers on 14 September to run; speaker Janira Hopffer Almada is acting president
- Results: Counting starts when polls close; the municipal counts are due by Wednesday 18 November
- Prediction markets: Polymarket, a crypto-based market, gives Neves 87.5%, Rosa 4.2%; Kalshi, a US-regulated market, 67% for a first-round win (31 October, 4:10 p.m. ET)
In plain English
The PAICV, the party that runs the government, backs Neves, and the MpD, the main opposition party, backs Rosa, while the other four candidates have no major-party backing. A candidate needs more than half of the valid votes to win on 15 November, otherwise the top two meet again in a runoff on 29 November.
Latest Developments
The official campaign opened on Thursday 29 October and runs until Friday 13 November, with Saturday 14 November a reflection day when campaigning is banned. Our campaign-opening report lists the six candidates.
On Saturday 31 October at about 4:10 p.m. ET, Polymarket, a crypto-based prediction market, priced Neves at 87.5% and Rosa at 4.2%, with about US$34,500 traded. Kalshi, a US-regulated prediction market, priced a first-round win, with no runoff, at 67%, so traders still see a real chance of a second round (our odds report).
On Wednesday 21 October 2026, the National Elections Commission (CNE), the body that runs Cabo Verde’s elections, voted unanimously to drop the notary step for early voters in hospital or prison. They can now apply with a simple copy of their identity document, the Cabo Verdean newspaper Expresso das Ilhas reported on 22 October.
The commission said the aim is to simplify the process and raise participation, and reports give no figure for how many patients or prisoners are expected to use it. Hospital inpatients and prisoners still have until Monday 26 October to request an early vote from their municipality, and our news report has the details.
- Cabo Verde Campaign Opens, Odds Favor Neves
Cabo Verde's presidential campaign has begun with six candidates on the ballot and President José Maria Neves priced at 85% by traders.
- Cabo Verde Markets Give President 86% Odds
Bettors price President José Maria Neves at 86% to win Cabo Verde's 15 November vote, far ahead of Joana Rosa at 4%. These are bets, not polls.
- Cabo Verde Election Prep Passes Halfway Mark
Cabo Verde’s election commission said on 22 October that over half of preparations for the 15 November vote are done. Markets favour President Neves.
- Cabo Verde Eases Early Voting Rules
Cabo Verde’s election commission now accepts a simple ID copy from hospital patients and prisoners who vote early in the 15 November presidential election.
- Cabo Verde Plans on 5.6% Growth, IMF Sees 5%
The IMF expects Cabo Verde to grow 5% next year, below the 5.6% in the 2027 budget, as the country’s current IMF programme nears its end in December.
- Cabo Verde Moves Up to Tier 2 on Trafficking
Cabo Verde leaves the US trafficking watch list for Tier 2, and its anti-trafficking observatory says the upgrade brings more responsibility.
Cape Verde Presidential Election 2026: Date, Hours and Runoff
The National Elections Commission (CNE), the national body that supervises elections in Cabo Verde, has set polling for Sunday 15 November 2026 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cabo Verde time. Cabo Verde is on UTC−1 all year, so polls open at 4 a.m. and close at 2 p.m. Eastern time once US clocks have gone back on Sunday 1 November.
A candidate needs more than half of the valid votes, with blank votes not counted, to win in the first round. If nobody does, the two leaders meet in a runoff on Sunday 29 November, and either finalist may withdraw until 6 p.m. Cabo Verde time on Tuesday 17 November.
The official campaign runs from Thursday 29 October to Friday 13 November, and Saturday 14 November is a day of reflection when all propaganda is banned. Opinion-poll results may not be published from 29 October until polls close on election day.
Hospital inpatients and prisoners have until Monday 26 October to ask their municipality for an early vote. Soldiers, police, health workers, civil protection staff, sailors, aviation workers, polling-station staff and journalists on assignment can apply from 31 October to 3 November.
Live Market IntelligenceCrypto — Live Market Board
Rio Times · Live Market Intelligence
Crypto — Live Market Board
+0.67%
| Instrument | Last | Change | YoY | Prev. | High | Low | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BTC | 80,543 | +0.67% | -29.41% | 80,007 | 80,550 | 79,380 | 21,816,416,256 |
| ETH | 2,348 | +1.18% | -43.00% | 2,320 | 2,349 | 2,295 | 8,316,267,520 |
| SOL | 100.98 | +0.22% | -49.19% | 100.75 | 101.04 | 99.17 | 2,110,777,984 |
| XRP | 1.32 | +1.04% | -49.89% | 1.31 | 1.32 | 1.29 | 1,574,615,552 |
| BNB | 750.98 | +1.29% | -34.10% | 741.42 | 751.10 | 733.56 | 1,470,316,160 |
| ADA | 0.21 | -0.30% | -69.21% | 0.21 | 0.21 | 0.20 | 190,120,672 |
| DOGE | 0.08 | +0.78% | -60.98% | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 441,746,112 |
| AVAX | 8.84 | -1.36% | -56.54% | 8.96 | 8.96 | 8.67 | 289,961,824 |
| LINK | 11.47 | +0.80% | -37.04% | 11.38 | 11.47 | 11.23 | 248,509,440 |
| DOT | 0.99 | -2.05% | -68.52% | 1.01 | 1.01 | 0.98 | 109,918,912 |
| LTC | 56.59 | -0.13% | -43.06% | 56.66 | 56.87 | 55.70 | 169,852,160 |
| BCH | 290.36 | +3.57% | -47.81% | 280.36 | 292.52 | 277.47 | 195,939,216 |
| TRX | 0.33 | -0.51% | +9.69% | 0.33 | 0.33 | 0.33 | 371,519,040 |
| XLM | 0.17 | +0.21% | -47.60% | 0.17 | 0.17 | 0.17 | 107,134,680 |
| HBAR | 0.08 | -1.56% | -58.82% | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.08 | 55,674,584 |
| NEAR | 4.62 | +2.60% | +97.50% | 4.50 | 4.64 | 4.39 | 630,712,192 |
| ATOM | 1.61 | -1.48% | -49.28% | 1.64 | 1.64 | 1.60 | 30,012,314 |
| AAVE | 132.37 | -2.36% | -43.78% | 135.57 | 135.87 | 129.56 | 246,790,448 |
Who Is the President of Cape Verde?
José Maria Neves is Cabo Verde’s president, elected in the first round on 17 October 2021 with 51.79% of the valid votes. On Monday 14 September 2026 he announced a bid for a second five-year term and said he was suspending his powers immediately under the electoral law.
Janira Hopffer Almada, the speaker of the National Assembly, is acting president until the result is proclaimed, and the presidency’s website lists her as interim president. Cabo Verde has no vice president, because the Constitution has the speaker step in when the president is unavailable.
The prime minister, who runs the government, is Francisco Carvalho of the PAICV, appointed in June 2026 after his party won the parliamentary election of 17 May. The two offices are separate in Cabo Verde’s semi-presidential system, with the president as head of state and the prime minister as head of government.
Cape Verde Presidential Election 2026: The Six Candidates
The Constitutional Court, which checks eligibility and signatures, admitted five of 11 candidacies on 21 September and a sixth, Loisito Tavares de Sousa, on appeal. The CNE announced the definitive list on 28 September and published the official notice on 30 September, and these are the six in ballot order:
Neves and Rosa are the two candidates backed by the main parties, and the other four have no major-party backing. Of the 11 candidacies filed, the court rejected four and one candidate withdrew.
The Parties, Explained
Two parties, the PAICV and the MpD, have alternated in government, and the PAICV returned to power in June 2026 after ten years in opposition. Presidential candidates run as individuals, but party backing brings campaign machinery and votes.
What the President Can and Cannot Do
Cabo Verde is a semi-presidential republic: the president is head of state and supreme commander of the armed forces, while the prime minister and cabinet run the government and answer to the National Assembly. The president appoints the prime minister after hearing the parties in parliament and weighing the election result.
The president can veto a bill within 30 days of receiving it and, in a serious institutional crisis, can dissolve the National Assembly after hearing the parties and the Council of the Republic. Neves has said the president cannot dismiss a prime minister he has appointed, and cannot dissolve parliament in the first year of a legislature or the last year of a presidential term.
The term is five years, and a president who has served two consecutive terms cannot stand for a third in the five years that follow. Candidates must be Cape Verdean by origin with no other nationality, over 35, resident in the country for the previous three years and backed by between 1,000 and 4,000 registered voters.
Cabo Verde Election 2026: What the Parliamentary Vote Showed
In the legislative election of Sunday 17 May 2026 the PAICV won 37 of the 72 seats with 48.04% of the vote, the MpD took 33 seats with 44.75% and the UCID two seats with 5.20%. Turnout was 46.5%, which means about 193,300 of the 416,096 registered voters cast a ballot.
Francisco Carvalho of the PAICV was appointed prime minister in June, ending the MpD’s period in government, as our report on the result describes. The new president will work with a government that holds a majority in parliament, a point Neves addressed on 12 October, saying the government has an absolute majority but that some changes still need agreement across parties, municipalities and society.
Can Cape Verdeans in the US Vote?
Cape Verdean citizens abroad vote in person at embassies, consulates and other designated sites, and the CNE lists 24 diaspora countries in three constituencies, with the United States in the Americas constituency alongside Brazil, Argentina and Cuba. Only citizens already on the register can vote, and 10 September was the last day to register or move a registration before the suspension began.
In the May parliamentary vote the Americas constituency had about 14,600 registered voters, roughly 3.5% of the national register, and about 6,100 of them voted. Registered voters abroad made up about 17% of the May register, and the Constitution caps the overseas total at one fifth of the votes counted in Cabo Verde.
The CNE’s September review in the United States met the Cabo Verdean consul in Boston, who also chairs the voter registration commission, and discussed creating registration posts and polling stations in Fall River, Massachusetts, and Miami, a request that could not be carried out for the May vote. The CNE has not confirmed those sites for this vote, and its US page lists no polling addresses or registered-voter count yet.
Questions about registration or polling places go to the CNE’s US delegate at [email protected]. Dual nationals cannot stand for president, because the Constitution bars candidates who hold another nationality, and one rejected filing came from a US-based aspirant who, according to Expresso das Ilhas, did not prove he held no other nationality.
What It Means for You
The US State Department rates Cabo Verde at Level 1, Exercise Normal Precautions, the lowest of its four advisory levels, citing crime and noting that some areas carry increased risk. The advisory was last issued on 18 December 2025, so check the US Embassy in Praia for alerts before travelling during the campaign.
US citizens are not on the government’s list of nationalities that need a visa before arrival, a rule in force since 1 January 2026, but foreign visitors must pre-register online on the government’s online entry pre-registration portal (EASE) before entering. Cabo Verde Airlines lists a Praia to Providence route on its booking page and names Providence (USA) as its US airport.
The government proposes and runs the budget and the National Assembly approves it, so the president’s weight is political rather than fiscal. For US businesses and investors the practical question is how a presidency will sit alongside a government that holds a majority in parliament.
When Results Come In
Counting starts at each polling station as soon as voting closes at 6 p.m. Cabo Verde time, which is 2 p.m. ET, and the CNE’s election site has a results page that is still empty. The CNE calendar sets the intermediate counts at municipal town halls for 3 p.m. Cabo Verde time on Monday 16 November (11 a.m. ET) and the municipal counts to be completed by Wednesday 18 November.
Within three days of finishing the national count, the CNE proclaims the winner or names the two runoff candidates. It must then publish the official results map in the Boletim Oficial, the government gazette, between 25 and 29 November.
Observers and Monitoring
The CNE has named 43 delegates, 22 in Cabo Verde and 21 abroad, to monitor voting and counting. ECOWAS, the West African regional bloc, told the CNE on 29 September that it plans to send 50 to 60 observers, with a first group arriving at the end of October and a second just before polling day.
For the May parliamentary vote ECOWAS fielded 85 observers, and for the 2021 presidential vote A Nação reported 104 international observers, with the African Union, ECOWAS and the United States among the groups. Other missions for November have not been announced, as far as we could find.
What Prediction Markets Say
Polymarket, a prediction-market platform where users trade real-money contracts, gave José Maria Neves an 87.5% chance of winning the election and Joana Rosa 4.2% at about 4:10 p.m. ET on 31 October 2026, with about US$34,500 traded on the market. These are bets, not polls, and the contract still lists several names that are not on the official ballot.
Kalshi, a prediction market regulated in the US by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), priced a first-round winner at 67% on 3,390 contracts, or US$1 bets. On its separate party market it last traded the PAICV, Neves’s party, at 81% and the MpD, Rosa’s party, at 19%, and only 4,221 contracts have traded there, so a few bets can move the price.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
Prediction markets · live
Implied chances from traders’ prices. Prices are bets, not polls.
Who wins Cabo Verde's presidency
Polymarket: US$35,000 traded.
Kalshi: winning party
Kalshi (regulated in the US by the CFTC): 4,221 contracts traded.
Kalshi: outright first-round win
Kalshi (regulated in the US by the CFTC): 3,390 contracts traded.
As of Saturday, 31 October, 4:07 p.m. ET, updated every 20 minutes.
Why we show this: prediction markets turn real-money bets into a live probability that moves within minutes of the news, which is why investors, campaigns and newsrooms in the United States now follow them closely. We show them next to polls and official results, never instead of them.
What Is Not Confirmed Yet
Whether a runoff will be needed, and between whom, is open, and we found no independent opinion poll for this race. The CNE has not published the number of voters registered for the presidential election or a time for the first provisional national figures on election night.
The CNE has not published polling addresses or opening hours for the United States or confirmed that the Fall River and Miami sites will open, and we found no announcement of observer missions other than ECOWAS. We also found no statement from the UCID on whom it supports, or confirmation that the PAICV’s National Council has formalised the backing for Neves that its political commission accepted in mid-September.
More: Africa news and analysis, every day from The Rio Times.
Related: Neves seeks a second term · Cabo Verde election returns PAICV to power · Cape Verde explained · Cabo Verde Airlines and the US route · Budget and IMF forecast · Fuel prices · All Cabo Verde coverage · Western Africa
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the Cape Verde presidential election 2026?
The first round is on Sunday 15 November 2026, with polls open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Cabo Verde time. A runoff between the top two, if needed, is set for Sunday 29 November.
Who is the president of Cape Verde?
José Maria Neves has been president since 2021, but he suspended his powers on 14 September 2026 to run for a second term. Janira Hopffer Almada, the speaker of the National Assembly, is acting president until the result is proclaimed.
Who are the candidates for president of Cape Verde?
Six are on the ballot: Antero Tavares, Casimiro de Pina, José Maria Neves, Gilson Alves, Joana Rosa and Loisito Tavares de Sousa. Neves is backed by the PAICV and Rosa by the MpD, while the other four have no major-party backing.
Is José Maria Neves running for a second term?
Yes, the incumbent is seeking a second five-year term with the backing of the PAICV. The Constitutional Court found no bar, because it would be his second term and not a third consecutive one.
Can hospital patients and prisoners vote early in Cabo Verde?
Yes. They must ask their municipality by Monday 26 October, and since 21 October a simple copy of their identity document is enough, with no notary needed. The election commission approved the change unanimously.
Is there a runoff in the Cape Verde election?
Yes, if no candidate wins more than half of the valid votes on 15 November, the top two meet in a runoff on Sunday 29 November. Blank votes are not counted when the majority is calculated.
What time do the polls open in ET?
Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Cabo Verde. That is 4 a.m. to 2 p.m. US Eastern time on 15 November, after US clocks go back on 1 November.
Who is the prime minister of Cabo Verde?
Francisco Carvalho of the PAICV became prime minister in June 2026 after his party won the May legislative election. The president does not run the government.
Does Cape Verde have a vice president?
No, the Constitution has the speaker of the National Assembly act as president when the president is unable to serve. Janira Hopffer Almada holds that role now.
Can Cape Verdeans in the US vote?
Yes, the United States is one of 24 diaspora countries where citizens vote in person at consulates and designated sites. Only voters who registered by 10 September can take part.
When will the Cape Verde election results be known?
Counting starts at each polling station when voting closes at 6 p.m. Cabo Verde time, which is 2 p.m. ET on 15 November.
Who won the Cape Verde parliamentary election in 2026?
The PAICV won the election of 17 May 2026 with 37 of the 72 seats, ahead of the MpD with 33 and the UCID with two. Francisco Carvalho became prime minister in June.
What do prediction markets say about the Cape Verde election?
On 31 October, Polymarket, a crypto-based prediction market, priced José Maria Neves at 87.5% to win and Joana Rosa at 4.2%. Kalshi, a US-regulated market, priced a first-round win at 67%. These are bets, not polls.
Is it safe to travel to Cape Verde during the election?
The US State Department rates Cabo Verde at Level 1, Exercise Normal Precautions, the lowest advisory level, in its notice of 18 December 2025. Campaigning runs from 29 October to 13 November, and US travellers should check the US Embassy’s alerts before they go.
Sources: CNE, Presidenciais 2026 election site · CNE, election FAQ · CNE, early voting · CNE, diaspora voters · CNE, United States constituency page · CNE, results page · CNE, Deliberation 01/2026, electoral calendar (Boletim Oficial, 3 August 2026) · CNE, candidates definitively admitted, 28 September 2026 · CNE, official list published, 30 September 2026 · CNE, registration suspended from 11 September · CNE, ECOWAS observer plans, 29 September 2026 · CNE, 43 delegates · CNE, US review, 8 September 2026 · CNE, US mission, 7 September 2026 · CNE, definitive results of the 17 May 2026 legislative election · CNE, legislative results map (Boletim Oficial, 29 May 2026) · CNE, 2021 presidential results map (Boletim Oficial, 30 October 2021) · CNE, voter support · Constitutional Court of Cabo Verde, admission of candidacies · National Assembly, Constitution of Cabo Verde · Government of Cabo Verde, Prime Minister · Government of Cabo Verde, EASE entry pre-registration · Government of Cabo Verde, countries that need a visa from 1 January 2026 · Presidency of Cabo Verde, interim president · Cabo Verde Airlines · US State Department travel advisories feed, Cabo Verde Level 1, 18 December 2025 · Expresso das Ilhas, Neves announces candidacy, 14 September 2026 · Expresso das Ilhas, PAICV backs Neves, 15 September 2026 · Expresso das Ilhas, MpD backs Joana Rosa, 29 August 2026 · Expresso das Ilhas, candidate profiles, 20 September 2026 · Expresso das Ilhas, Constitutional Court ruling, 27 September 2026 · Expresso das Ilhas, suspension of the president, 5 September 2026 · Expresso das Ilhas, Casimiro de Pina, 3 October 2026 · Expresso das Ilhas, Joana Rosa, 3 October 2026 · Expresso das Ilhas, Antero Tavares, 10 October 2026 · Expresso das Ilhas, Gilson Alves, 10 October 2026 · Expresso das Ilhas, Loisito Tavares de Sousa, 10 October 2026 · Expresso das Ilhas, Neves commitments, 12 October 2026 · Expresso das Ilhas, president on his powers, 21 July 2026 · Expresso das Ilhas, MpD leader Paulo Veiga, 11 October 2026 · Inforpress, Neves candidacy, 14 September 2026 · Santiago Magazine, Joana Rosa, 24 June 2026 · A Nação, international observers, 17 October 2021 · Africanews, Neves career, 15 September 2026. Polymarket and Kalshi prices were read on 31 October 2026.
Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief · Editorial standards · Report an error