Haiti’s 13 December Vote, What US Travellers Need to Know

HAITI · ELECTION 2026

Haiti’s first presidential vote in a decade is officially set for 13 December. The timetable is being redrawn, and the whole country stays under a Do Not Travel warning.

Haiti’s electoral council still lists Sunday, 13 December 2026, for the first round of the Haiti election, the first since 2016. On Monday, 5 October, it postponed the campaign and said a revised calendar would follow.

For Americans the practical answer is short: the US government says do not travel to Haiti at all. US airlines cannot fly into Port-au-Prince, and the US Embassy can offer only very limited emergency help.

Is the Haiti Election Date Fixed?

The Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), the body that organises Haitian elections, published its official 2026–2027 calendar on 27 July. It set the first round for 13 December 2026 and the second round for Sunday, 21 February 2027.

From the start the council attached two conditions. It said keeping to the dates depends on an acceptable security climate and on the money needed to continue operations.

On 5 October the cabinet, known as the Council of Ministers, adopted amendments to the electoral decree of 2 June 2026.

The CEP then extended candidate registration to 31 October. It also postponed the campaign, which the July calendar had set for 5 October to 12 December.

The council said new campaign dates would come in an updated calendar, to be published “as soon as possible”. Its statement neither confirmed nor changed the 13 December polling day.

Haiti Libre, a Haitian news site, noted on 6 October that the cabinet gave no detail on the amended articles. It still described the vote as scheduled for 13 December.

Le Nouvelliste, the Port-au-Prince daily, read the note differently on 6 October. It reported that the move effectively puts off the vote indefinitely, as the note no longer mentions any polling date.

Doubts are not new. Frantz Duval wrote in a Le Nouvelliste editorial on 4 September that many signs suggested 2026 could end without elections.

What Is on the Ballot

The first round covers the presidency, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. Voters will also be asked to ratify proposed changes to Haiti’s constitution on the same day.

The second round would hold presidential and legislative runoffs, plus elections for local government posts. Haiti currently has no sitting parliament, which is why the electoral rules were issued by cabinet decree.

Each party must register 30,000 members before fielding candidates. By 21 September, 18 parties and 12 coalitions had submitted those lists, according to the CEP.

On the same date the CEP’s online platform showed 7 presidential bids, 162 for the Senate and 419 for the lower house. More have filed since, and Haiti Libre reported a new presidential registration on 3 October.

The council itself changed leadership on 24 September, when Peterson Pierre-Louis became its president. He used his first speech to urge political actors to reject violence and intimidation.

Voter Registration and the Diaspora

Voter registration began on 20 and 21 July in nine of Haiti’s ten departments. It started on 30 July in the West department, which includes Port-au-Prince.

By 21 September, more than 628,755 people had registered at 1,285 registration and voting centres. The CEP said that was just over 10% of potential voters, meaning citizens who hold a national ID card.

Registration continues, and the council is urging eligible citizens to sign up. Its campaign aimed at first-time voters began at a Pétion-Ville high school on 23 September.

Haitians abroad may get a vote for the first time through a pilot scheme. CEP delegations have visited Canada, Chile, Brazil and France to study how it could work.

Foreign Minister Raina Forbin discussed the pilot with the council on 28 September. The CEP has not published which countries will take part, or whether the United States is among them.

Security on the Ground

The State Department’s Haiti advisory, dated 10 July 2026, is Level 4, its highest. It warns that kidnapping is widespread and that US citizen victims have been hurt or killed.

Ransom demands typically run from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars, the advisory says. It describes protests, demonstrations and roadblocks as common and unpredictable.

US government staff in Haiti may not leave the embassy for non-essential reasons. The State Department says its ability to provide emergency services to US citizens is extremely limited.

The embassy in Tabarre, a district of Port-au-Prince, reported gunfire nearby on 5, 7 and 19 September. Each alert told US citizens to avoid the area and keep a low profile.

On 30 September the UN Security Council renewed the mandate of the Gang Suppression Force, an international force backing Haiti’s police. Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN, said it was clearing roads and neighbourhoods.

Flights and Entry Rules

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the US aviation regulator, bars US airlines and US-licensed pilots from flying below 10,000 feet around Port-au-Prince. The current order runs from 1 September 2026 to 2 March 2027.

The FAA says gangs have attacked at least 11 aircraft in and around Port-au-Prince since February 2024. The State Department confirms that no US commercial flights operate to or from the capital.

The FAA says gangs have limited presence around the airports of Cap-Haïtien and Les Cayes, and no record of targeting aviation there. Both cities lie outside the restricted zone.

That does not make road travel between cities safe, and the advisory covers the whole country. Confirm any route directly with the airline before booking.

US citizens need a passport valid for six months beyond arrival and no visa for stays of up to 90 days. The State Department lists a US$10 tourist fee, paid at the airport.

All travellers must also complete Haiti’s electronic entry and exit form, called iKat, at least 72 hours before arrival.

Money and Health Care

Haiti’s currency is the gourde. The central bank’s reference rate on 7 October 2026 was 130.53 gourdes per US dollar.

Hospitals and clinics have limited trained staff and lack basic resources, according to the State Department. Providers almost always want cash before treatment, so medical evacuation cover is worth checking before departure.

What It Means for You

For US citizens without an essential reason to be in Haiti, the official advice is not to go, election or not. A trip timed to watch the vote carries the same risks as any other visit.

Haitian Americans planning holiday visits to family should expect possible disruption around polling day, whichever date is finally confirmed. Keep travel dates flexible and avoid tight connections around that weekend.

Anyone who must travel should enrol in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP), the State Department’s alert service. The department also advises a proof-of-life plan, an updated will and an exit plan that does not rely on US help.

Observers and journalists need CEP accreditation, which opened in August; the window for journalists closed on 28 August. Aid groups and companies should check their own security rules against the revised calendar once it appears.

For businesses, the Haiti election matters because a parliament is needed to pass laws and approve budgets. Until one sits, the cabinet governs by decree.

What Is Not Known

The CEP has not said whether the Haiti election will keep its 13 December date in the revised calendar. It has not given new campaign dates either.

The final candidate list will not be known until after the 31 October deadline and legal checks. The countries in the diaspora voting pilot have not been announced.

It is unclear whether the security and funding conditions the CEP set in July will be met in time. It is also unknown whether the FAA will lift or extend its order after 2 March 2027.

What Comes Next

Candidate registration closes on Saturday, 31 October. The CEP says the updated calendar will be published as soon as possible, after consultation with approved parties.

Under the July calendar, runoffs and local elections follow on 21 February 2027. Any change to the first round of the Haiti election would likely move that date as well.

A confirmed polling day would not change the travel advice. The Level 4 warning applies regardless of the electoral calendar.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Haiti’s election still on 13 December 2026?

Officially yes, but the date is under review. On 5 October the electoral council postponed the campaign and promised a revised calendar without confirming the date.

Can US citizens travel to Haiti for the election?

There is no legal ban, but the State Department rates Haiti Level 4, Do Not Travel. US airlines cannot fly into Port-au-Prince under an FAA order valid until 2 March 2027.

Can Haitians living in the United States vote?

That is not confirmed. The electoral council is preparing a pilot for voting abroad but has not said whether the United States is included.

Sources: CEP, official 2026–2027 calendar (27 July 2026); CEP, note of 5 October 2026; CEP, progress report of 21 September 2026; CEP, new board; CEP, diaspora pilot; CEP, journalist accreditation; US State Department, Haiti travel advisory; US State Department, Haiti country information; US Embassy Port-au-Prince, security alert; US Mission to the UN, remarks of 30 September 2026; FAA, NOTAM A0046/26; FAA, Haiti background notice; Banque de la République d’Haïti; Haiti Libre; Le Nouvelliste (6 October 2026); Le Nouvelliste, editorial (4 September 2026) (all accessed 7 October 2026).