GAMBIA · ELECTIONS
Key Facts
- What is happening The Gambia counts 1,146,474 registered voters for its presidential election on Saturday 5 December.
- Why it matters A small West African democracy that voted out a 22-year ruler in 2016 votes again.
- The numbers Courts heard 1,694 objections and removed 165 names; 27 would-be candidates took nomination forms.
- Who is who Joseph Colley chairs the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), which runs Gambian elections and keeps the voter list.
- What to watch Which candidates the electoral commission accepts before nominations close on Saturday 14 November, and when the campaign starts.
- Prediction markets Polymarket, a US betting market, gives President Adama Barrow 73% to win (4 November, 3:14 a.m. ET).
- What it means for you US travellers and investors have a fixed calendar: filing ends 14 November, voting 5 December.
The Gambia’s election commission says 1,146,474 people can vote on Saturday 5 December. Courts removed 165 names after 1,694 objections.
The Gambia has 1,146,474 registered voters for its presidential election on Saturday 5 December 2026, the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) said. The IEC runs Gambian elections and keeps the voter list, and it spoke on Monday 2 November.
The Gambia is a small West African country of about 2.8 million people, almost surrounded by Senegal. Its voters ousted Yahya Jammeh, who had ruled for 22 years, in December 2016, so each vote is a stability test.
In Plain English
- —IEC The Independent Electoral Commission runs elections, registers voters and clears candidates for the ballot.
- —Revising courts Magistrate-led panels that decide challenges to names on the provisional voter list.
- —Master register The final voter list the IEC will use on election day.
- —Nomination The formal step where a candidate files papers, signatures and a deposit to join the race.
What the Electoral Commission Announced
IEC Chairman Joseph Colley briefed the media at the commission’s Kanifing headquarters on Monday 2 November. He said the combined registers hold 1,146,474 voters and the country will have 1,773 polling stations.
The registers will be used for the presidential election and for later votes. The commission will also give political parties electronic copies of the master register, as the Elections Act 2025 requires.
Courts Removed 165 Names After 1,694 Objections
Revising courts sat for 60 days, from Monday 24 August to Saturday 24 October. They examined 1,694 objections to names on the provisional register and ordered 165 names removed.
Colley said no appeal was filed against any ruling. No court was set up in Banjul or Sibanor because nobody filed an objection there.
Nominations Run Until 14 November
Candidates can file nomination papers from Tuesday 3 November to Saturday 14 November, the IEC says. When it published its schedule, 27 would-be candidates had collected nomination forms.
The IEC has not yet published a list of accepted candidates, so the field is not known. Our earlier report on the filing timetable sets out the filing timetable.
A 15-day window from 1 to 15 November lets voters replace lost or damaged cards free at all ten IEC offices. Accreditation of observers and media is under way, and the hiring of polling staff is finished.
How Gambians Vote With Marbles
The IEC’s voting guide describes a marble system instead of paper ballots. Each voter receives a marble and drops it into the drum of the chosen candidate, while an officer listens for the sound.
Polls open at 8 a.m. and close at 5 p.m., and anyone still in the queue at closing may vote. Officers mark a voter’s left forefinger with indelible ink to show that the person has voted.
What Prediction Markets Say
Polymarket, a US prediction market, gave Adama Barrow 73% and Ousainou Darboe 22% at 3:14 a.m. ET on 4 November. Darboe leads the United Democratic Party, the main opposition party.
Talib Ahmed Bensouda trades near 5% in the same market, and no other named candidate is above 5%. The whole election market has traded only about US$15,010, so a few bets can move the prices.
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 It Means for You
For US readers, the register fixes the calendar that matters: filing ends on 14 November and voting takes place on 5 December. Travellers should read the US State Department’s Gambia advisory and embassy messages before any trip around the vote.
Investors in the small economy, about US$2.6 billion in 2025 by World Bank figures, watch the vote for policy continuity. Our report on a US$169 million solar deal shows the energy decisions at stake.
Wider context sits in our explainers on Gambia geopolitics and on Gambia and its neighbours in West Africa. The Gambia hub page collects the rest.
What Is Not Known
The IEC has not published a list of validated candidates, and nominations stay open until 14 November. The final field, the campaign start date and any disqualifications are therefore unknown.
The IEC’s website post leaves the total blank, so 1,146,474 comes from the chairman’s briefing as widely reported. We could not confirm whether the 2025 Elections Act changed the marble method that the IEC guide describes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people can vote in the Gambian election?
The IEC says 1,146,474 people are on the combined voter registers. They will vote at 1,773 polling stations.
When is the Gambian presidential election?
Voting takes place on Saturday 5 December 2026. Candidates can file nomination papers from 3 to 14 November.
Who runs the election in the Gambia?
The Independent Electoral Commission runs it, led by Chairman Joseph Colley. It keeps the voter list, clears candidates and announces results.
How do Gambians cast their votes?
The IEC’s guide describes marbles dropped into a candidate’s drum, not paper ballots. Voters also have a finger marked with indelible ink.
What should US travellers do before the vote?
Check the US State Department’s Gambia advisory and register with the embassy alerts before travelling. Expect political gatherings during the campaign period.
Sources: Independent Electoral Commission of The Gambia, briefing on the 5 December 2026 election, 3 November 2026; Independent Electoral Commission, nomination schedule for the presidential election of 5 December 2026, 30 October 2026; Independent Electoral Commission, press release on replacement of voter cards, 1 November 2026; Independent Electoral Commission, how to vote; World Bank, Gambia population and GDP indicators, 2025 (Polymarket market data of 4 November 2026 is cited in the text; all other pages accessed 4 November 2026).
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief