Haiti Electoral Council Warns Parties Against Campaigning Before 13 December Vote
POLITICS · HAITI
Key Facts
- The country Haiti, a Caribbean nation of about 12 million, has had no elected president since 2021. Its planned vote would be the first national election in a decade.
- What happened In a note dated Monday 28 September 2026, the Haiti electoral council told parties and candidates not to campaign before it sets the official period, Juno7 and AlterPresse reported.
- The numbers As of 21 September, 7 presidential, 162 Senate and 419 lower-house candidates had registered, and 628,755 voters were on the roll, the council said.
- What it means for you The first round is still set for 13 December 2026, with a runoff on 21 February 2027. Campaigning is allowed only once the council opens the period.
- Still open When the campaign starts. The July calendar set 5 October, but candidate registration was extended on 16 September to 9 October.
This story is part of our coverage of the Haiti crisis. The gangs, the UN force, the December vote and the Dominican border are explained in our dossier.
The Haiti electoral council has told parties and candidates to stop any activity that looks like campaigning. It says the official campaign period has not begun and has not yet been set.
The warning came in a note dated Monday 28 September, reported by Juno7, AlterPresse and Le Nouvelliste. It lands as political platforms hold rallies ahead of a first round planned for 13 December.
What the electoral council said
The Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) is the body that organises Haitian elections. It cites article 193 of the electoral decree of 2 June 2026, which gives it sole power to fix the campaign period.
The council asks parties, political groupings and candidates to avoid any activity “assimilable” to campaigning before that period opens. It also calls for a “serene, fair” climate, AlterPresse reported.
The note does not name any party or list penalties. The council said it would run the process with independence, integrity and transparency, according to Juno7.
A calendar under pressure
The calendar published on 27 July set the first-round campaign from 5 October to 12 December, The Haitian Times reported. Final results were due by 7 March 2027, with winners taking office by 12 March.
Deadlines have since moved twice. On 16 September the council extended online candidate registration and document filing to 9 October, while keeping 13 December, Juno7 reported.
Voter registration is the slower part. The roll stood at 506,953 on 6 September against a goal of 4 million, Juno7 reported, citing council data.
By 21 September it had reached 628,755, the council said. Registration closes on 13 October, and 1,285 registration centres were operating, including 148 in the violence-hit West.
There are stabilising signs. The UN Security Council extended the Gang Suppression Force for six months on 29 September, Juno7 reported.
The council and the foreign ministry are also preparing a pilot vote for Haitians abroad. A note dated 29 September again named 13 December as the election date, AlterPresse reported.
Parties already on the road
Some platforms have been touring for weeks. VIKTWA, which says it groups 52 parties, rallied in Pétion-Ville on Sunday 27 September for presidential candidate Wilner Joseph, Juno7 reported.
The platform had earlier held events in Cap-Haïtien, Gonaïves and Delmas. The council’s note does not refer to VIKTWA or any other group.
Civic groups are pressing on other fronts. The Collectif Kenbe Kapòw in the North wrote to council president Peterson Pierre-Louis asking for more registration agents and simpler procedures.
The Haiti electoral council also faces doubts from parties that call the timetable unrealistic, The Haitian Times reported. Background on the vote is in Haiti December Election Set as First Vote in a Decade.
What Is Not Yet Known
The council has not published a new campaign start date. With filing open to 9 October, the 5 October opening in the July calendar looks set to move.
It is also unclear what sanctions, if any, apply to early campaigning. Juno7 reported that the council is discussing possible changes to the electoral decree with parties and government.
Sources: Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), note of 28 September 2026, as reported by Juno7, AlterPresse and Le Nouvelliste; Juno7 on the 9 October filing deadline, voter registration, the VIKTWA rally and Kenbe Kapòw; AlterPresse on the diaspora pilot; The Haitian Times on the July calendar and registration figures.
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